


A Journey to Find Herself

by SuperSaiyanHollow



Series: Fics for Fans [3]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Black 2 & White 2 | Pokemon Black 2 & White 2 Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anime/Video Game Fusion, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Attempted Sexual Assault, Blow Jobs, Canon-Typical Violence, Christie (OC), Deepthroating, Drabble Collection, Dubious Consent, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Exploration, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Foreplay, Gender Dysphoria, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderswap, Hypnotism, Missionary Position, Nipple Play, Non-Penetrative Sex, OC, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Characters - Freeform, Pokemon Abuse, Pokemon Battle, Pokemon Black 2, Pokemon Evolution, Pokemon Journey, Scents & Smells, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, Smegma, Team Plasma, Touching, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Transformation, Transgender, Transported into Pokemon Black 2, Uncircumcised Penis, Unsafe Sex, Urination, Vaginal Sex, Virginity, Wet Dream, all set in the same universe, clitoral stimulation, mtf
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-03-05 11:43:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 32,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13387104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuperSaiyanHollow/pseuds/SuperSaiyanHollow
Summary: Sam always knew that he wasn't supposed to be this way, that he was trapped in his own body. He lives a facade as he is unable to be who he truly is out of fear of rejection and turning his entire life upside down. However, one day he stumbles across an old copy of Pokemon Black 2 that will forever change his life. While attempting to play the game, he is magically transported inside it. In the Pokemon World, he doesn't have to be Sam. She is now Christie. As she stumbles her way down a new path, seemingly having her dream come true, she will deal with much more than a simple Pokemon journey. She will struggle to find herself and learn who the true Christie really is.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone and welcome to 2018! I am so excited for what this year has in store for me as I accomplished my New Year's resolution last year of posting one fic a month. After thinking about it for a while, I finally came up with my resolution this year. Not only will a strive to continue uploading one work a month, but I also want to write 200,000 words this year! I have joined a great community called Get Your Words Out or GYWO. I have pledged to write 200,000 words with them, and I'm doing a great job of staying on track so far! If you'd like to follow my progress, you can check out my new Dreamwidth account which is supersaiyanhollow. I'll update my profile on here as well with my new account!
> 
> But anyways, this fic was anonymously commissioned! I'm so glad that I was able to work on such a lovely piece though. I have written something similar to this in the past aka a fic where an OC undergoes a Pokemon journey (but it will never see the light of day haha), so I was glad to tackle something like this! I had so much fun with creating the plot as the commissioner gave me a lot of creative liberty, especially since I haven't played Pokemon Black 2 (though I've played other Pokemon games). I'm so excited for the rest of this story! That's right! This will be a multi-chaptered fic. It's more of a collection of drabbles all set in the same universe as it follows Christie through different parts of her Pokemon journey. This fic will be updated upon the commissioner's request, so there will be no strict update schedule. This is my second time writing a transgender character and as I hope to continue to create transgender fiction, please provide me with constructive criticism as to how I portrayed Christie's struggle. Finally, a big thank you to the commissioner of this piece! They are delightful to work with, and as I said, I cannot wait to work on the next installment!
> 
> As some of you may not know my main blog is yaoiobsessedwrites if you'd like to follow me on Tumblr. I created a new Tumblr called supahimagery along with yaoiobsessedwrites. This new blog is strictly for writing! I've decided to share my knowledge with you all and post writing tips and tricks! I also reblog useful resources~. This is not just for fanfiction either! I will also be tackling essay writing and original works! I've already got one post up about the basics of writing smut, so for all of you out there who need a little bit of guidance, check it out! I will also be posting my own works to that blog, but you can also find them on my main Tumblr, yaoiobsessedwrites, so don't worry~!
> 
> I am still accepting requests on my Tumblr as long as they are under 1,000 words. For anything larger, please check out my Tumblr or send me an email at superimageryyy@gmail.com. If you have any questions about my writing or want to see something specific, email me at the previous address or send me a message on Tumblr. I promise I don't bite! If you message me on my writing blog, however, and I do not respond to you within a few days, please message my main account! I don't check my writing blog often and I don't receive notifications as it is a separate account. If you message me on my main account, it goes straight to my phone!
> 
> Let's rock 'n' roll~!
> 
> Disclaimer: I in no way own Pokemon nor do I own any of its characters.

The only thing on his mind as he trudged home was the prospect of peace and tranquility. He sighed forlornly, stuffing his hands deeper inside the pockets of his khakis. He reached up to pull at the neck of his sweater as he felt like it was going to suffocate him at any moment. There was nothing better than having to spend the day with a client who believed themselves to always be right. Normally, he looked forward to working as becoming a software developer had always been his dream, but the man he was working with had utterly drained him. He had been assigned the task of creating a new kind of software that would automatically send out employee assignments, allowing them to collaborate digitally, keep track of their current tasks, and deliver them onto the next person once their part was complete. The company that required such a service was gigantic, making it even harder to design a successful software that could handle all of their employees. The CEO, who had paid for their services in the first place, however, was making his life even more difficult. 

He came to a halt on the sidewalk, the afternoon sun dipping down below the horizon, casting an orange hue over him and the adjacent buildings. He brought his hand up to rub at his overheated face. Simply remembering the events from earlier today made his head spin. The CEO was impossible to work with because it seemed like he could never be pleased. The first design he had come up with had been  _ flawless _ , and he had been about to send it off to the programmers, when he received feedback from the client. At first, the CEO’s requests had seemed more than reasonable. He didn’t like the way some of the transition screens would look. It was an easy fix, but soon enough, he was barraged by demands, ones the current software he developed couldn’t handle. He had had to redesign the software a total of  _ six  _ times today just to meet the CEO’s stringent needs, and yet, it  _ still  _ wasn’t enough. He had held back his tongue the entire time, not wanting to risk being fired over some old-timey asshole.

He shook his head, trying to forget the stress of the day. Perhaps he could go home, kick up his feet, and play some Overwatch. Or, would that only frustrate him further? Maybe he should just flip on the TV and see if there were any good wrestling matches on tonight. Cheering for his favorite pro would certainly put a smile back onto his face. With that in mind, he readjusted the strap of his messenger bag over his shoulder and began walking again. He was already close to his apartment, just a few more blocks away from some well-deserved relaxation.

But, upon taking a few more steps, he heard a sharp crunch underneath him. He blinked and made a small sound in the back of his throat as he gazed down at the sidewalk. He moved his foot back, noticing what appeared to be a piece of a broken white CD case. It looked as if it had been ripped apart diagonally in the middle, but he only saw the one half. His grip on the strap of his bag tightened as he inspected the sidewalk for more clues. His eyes drifted towards the grass to his right when he saw a few more pieces of the plastic case strewn about. They seemed to lead into the grass, and sure enough, upon closer inspection, he found the other half of the cracked case entangled in some overgrown weeds.

He squatted down, curiosity overcoming him. He was a pretty big gamer, so he recognized the case as one for a Nintendo game considering its size and shape. He wanted to know which game it was as if that would give him a clue as to why someone ripped it apart and threw it out. He picked up the half of the case and flipped it over to see the cover. To his surprise, it was Pokémon Black 2, a fairly recent game. He expected it to be something old and shitty, not a gem such as this. He smiled faintly at the blue and black cover, Black Kyurem looking back at him, determined to fight by his side.

He had grown up with Pokémon, and like every kid, he loved the series with all his heart. The thought of going on a tremendous and spectacular journey with one’s closest companions had always resonated with him. It was the stuff of legends, but somehow, every ten year old could accomplish it, at least in the game. He was  _ well  _ over the age of ten, but his love of video games had never faded; his tastes had simply morphed. But, Pokémon would always be near and dear to him as he still had a good number of his old games. What was weird, though, was that his copy of Black 2 had been missing for quite some time. He assumed it was misplaced when he moved into his apartment as he hadn’t seen it since packing it away with the rest. For a moment, he thought maybe  _ this  _ was his lost game, but of course, that was silly to think.

He went to straighten, glad for the distraction and wave of nostalgia that had washed over him after flipping the case over, but something else caught his eye. He flung the broken case to the side as he watched a tiny cartridge glisten in the grass.

“No way…,” he mumbled as he reached over to snatch it up.

He turned it over in his hand, gasping inaudibly at what he saw. Indeed, it was the copy of Pokémon Black 2 that had been in the case. It looked as good as new as Black Kyurem glimmered in the fading light of the evening sun. He couldn’t believe his luck! This would normally be a $40 game, something he could readily afford, but he hadn’t been invested in Pokémon in a year or two. He had been much more concerned with buying up all the Overwatch loot boxes and skins he could instead. He wasn’t going to take this for granted though. It wasn’t every day that there was just a free Nintendo game laying around for the taking.

Instantly, he closed his fist around the cartridge, eyes scanning the immediate area to see if anyone had seen him confiscating the game. There wasn’t another soul in sight, and obviously, whoever had had this game before him didn’t want it considering the state the case was in. He stood back up, slipping the cartridge into his pocket. Quickly, he made his way back to the sidewalk, walking on as if nothing had happened, though, he was more than excited to go home and launch up his old 3DS in order to immerse himself in the wide and wonderful world of Pokémon.

* * *

 

After a long search that included dragging out drawers and rummaging through years of old junk, he had found his 3DS charger. It was akin to a miracle since he hadn’t seen it in forever. He always kept his Nintendo in the same spot, but a charger was liable to be anywhere as it was carried around the house from outlet to outlet. He stepped back into the living room of his apartment for one where his black 3DS was laying in the floor on top of his rug. The old copy of Pokémon Black 2 was resting next to it, ready to be played. He seriously hoped the cartridge still functioned or he was going to be  _ extremely  _ disappointed. 

He had gone to launch it as soon as he got home, but his Nintendo had been completely dead, the light not even cutting on; it was to be expected as he couldn’t even remember the last time he had played it. Dismayed, he had quickly shuffled out of his work attire and into something much more comfortable: a Pokémon T-shirt and flannel pajama pants. His shirt was gray with Pikachu and the three original Kanto starters on it: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. And while even he could admit that it was rather childish to be wearing such a thing, he wanted to in order to feel as if he were really a part of the game.

He had located the charger now though, so there was nothing stopping him from booting up the game. However, once he got his Nintendo plugged up, he decided to grab a snack, knowing he would play for an absurd amount of time once he got started. Armed with a full bag of chips and a soda, he happily made his way back into the living room. He sat down on the rug in front of his Nintendo with his legs crossed. He set the chips to one side and his soda to the other. Finally prepared to play the game, he clapped his hands together and rubbed them excitedly.

“Let’s go!” he said to himself as he leaned forward to grab his 3DS.

He flipped it open, his finger instantly mashing down on the power button. He pulled his stylus out of its compartment, eagerly tapping away at the game’s icon on his screen. He was practically trembling in excitement as the opening screen loaded, chills running down his spine as the music blared to life. It had been so long since he had indulged in a Pokémon game, and now, it was  _ all  _ coming back to him: the lasting friendships, the valiant battles, and the impassioned goal of becoming the very best like no one ever was. He was so excited, in fact, that he didn’t even notice how the only option on screen was to start a new game.

Soon enough, Professor Juniper appeared on his screen smiling softly while flippantly tossing a Pokéball in her hand. As the white text box emerged below her, he noticed his Nintendo shaking from how hard he was gripping it.

_ “Hi there! Welcome to the world of Pokémon. My name is Professor Juniper. Everyone calls me the Pokémon Professor!” _

After introducing herself, she slid backwards, finally tossing the Pokéball up into the air. It bounced in the air before popping open to reveal a dazzling Cinccino with a magnificiently fluffy coat. The Cinccino bobbed its head, its chest somewhat puffing out as if it were proud of how cute it looked.

_ “That’s right! This world is widely inhabited by mysterious creatures called Pokémon. Pokémon have mysterious powers. They come in many shapes and live in many different places. We humans live happily with Pokémon! Living and working together, we complement each other. We help each other out to accomplish difficult tasks. Having Pokémon battle one another is particularly popular, and it deepens the bond between people and Pokémon. And that is why I research Pokémon.” _

He read Professor Juniper’s speech intently, hanging onto every word, though he knew the premise of Pokémon by heart. He always liked to see how the next generation altered the opening text to best suit its theme. Once she was done explaining Pokémon, the Cinccino vanished from the screen and Professor Juniper took her place back in the center once more.

_ “Well, that’s enough from me...Could you tell me about yourself?” _

At her words, he deflated slightly, a pit forming in his stomach. He knew exactly what she was about to ask him, and it reminded him of his one dilemma in this world.

_ “Are you a boy? Or a girl?” _

Two options appeared on screen: a male trainer and a female trainer. And, he couldn’t have been more confused as to which to choose. Biologically, he was  _ male _ and had been assigned one at birth, but he harbored a dark secret that only he knew of. He hadn’t dared mention it to his family for fear of rejection, and he felt as if he couldn’t confide in his friends simply because they were far too masculine to understand; he didn’t want to be mocked or thought of as lesser for having these feelings.

He had always believed that he should have been born a girl. He didn’t know what it was, but ever since he was old enough to have thoughts of his own, he  _ knew  _ he was living in the wrong body. This one was too big and bulky for him with firm muscles where curves should have been. He hated his own genitalia with a passion, and more often than not, he considered cutting it off in order to rid himself of it once and for all; it didn’t even feel like a part of himself,  _ foreign _ . He had never fully explored himself, too disgusted by his own frame to want to see himself naked in the bathroom mirror for more than a split second. He longed to be a voluptuous woman with long flowing hair and a body that felt like her  _ own _ .

He hated living this way, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it without turning his entire life upside-down. He had spent a lot of time pondering that decision and how it would affect him, but in the end, he couldn’t go through with it. He had more  _ good  _ days than bad ones, and sometimes, he feared he was making it all up; he didn’t  _ really  _ feel like a girl. He just wanted the attention. But, the only attention he was getting was the intense negativity and self-loathing he inflicted upon himself. Over the years, he had reached out into the transgender community, learning all the terms for how he felt and how to cope with his dysphoria. And yet, he still felt utterly alone and deplorable. There were plenty of ways to  _ cope  _ with living in the wrong body, but nothing except hormone therapy and surgery could ever truly make things right for him.

Overcome with melancholy and simply wanting to forget that he was a girl stuck in a man’s body, he selected the male trainer. The screen became blurry, and he realized that there were tears welling in the corners of his eyes. He shook his head, trying to clear his wayward thoughts in order to focus back on the childlike wonder of Pokémon. Surely, that would cheer him up.

_ “You’re a boy, right?” _

He frowned, but chose “yes” anyways.

_ “I’d like to know your name. Please tell me.” _

He tapped his stylus on the bottom screen to spell out “Sam”. He was afraid he wasn’t going to be able to regain his earlier enthusiasm, however, after that beginning question. Why did this unbearable feeling have to strike him now? He always hated when he was suddenly overcome with depression and a general dislike for his own limbs. Even now, the stylus felt way too small in his ridiculously large hands. He could feel his face heating up, prickling with anxiety.

_ “Your name is Sam?” _

He wanted to say no and almost went to do so aloud. He had always wanted to be called something different, but  _ Christie  _ wasn’t even an acceptable nickname for a  _ guy _ . He stared at the screen, watching the little arrow in the corner of the text box jiggle as it awaited his response. He looked at Professor Juniper’s sincere face, a motherly vibe radiating off of her. His own face softened. Oh, how he wished he could really be a part of the Pokémon world. He felt like the characters in the games would understand his dilemma and wouldn’t judge him for wanting to be who he truly  _ was _ .

He blinked. That’s it! A smile broke out across his face once again when he felt his epiphany overtake him. This was a video game, completely  _ fictional _ . He could be whatever he wanted to be! He could be called whatever he wanted to be! He didn’t have to abide by some obscure gender norms when he was playing something for  _ himself _ .

Quickly, he powered off his device, immediately switching it right back on. He hurried through the opening text this time, not even bothering to read it until he reached that point once again.

_ “Are you a boy? Or a girl?” _

And this time, he proudly chose the female avatar, knowing that was who he was on the inside. His choice actually made him feel better, that wave of dysphoria slowly receding back as he could at least  _ pretend  _ he was a girl. He could feel his earlier enthusiasm slowly building back up as the music continued and the screen changed back to Professor Juniper.

_ “I’d like to know your name. Please tell me.” _

This time he entered the name he had always wanted, the one he felt more connected to. He stared at it for a moment after typing it out, a bit awe-struck. Seeing it in the text box almost made it seem  _ official _ .

_ “Your name is Christie?” _

He clicked “yes” with a smile still plastered on his face. His Nintendo began vibrating again from his excitement. His toes wiggled as he brought the game that much closer to his face even though he was already completely immersed in it.

_ “So your name’s Christie! What a wonderful name!” _

He felt heat blossom back onto his face, but it wasn’t anxiety this time. He knew it was just a silly game, but Professor Juniper’s words still made him feel that much better about himself and his choices. He was right, if he lived in the Pokémon world, no one would judge him for being transgender. There would be no backlash. To them,  _ she  _ would always be a girl through and through. She would always be called Christie and would never have to respond to  _ Sam  _ ever again. The experience sounded liberating, and while he knew it was just a fantasy, the prospect of such a thing only further fueled his love of Pokémon.

He pressed the A button to move forward, watching as Professor Juniper once again vanished from the screen. In her place was a boy that looked about the same age as the female avatar with dark blue hair and a coordinating red and blue outfit. He looked confident and determined with his balled-up fist and his Pokéball proudly out on display.

_ “Could you tell me a little about your friend - the older boy who lives nearby? Would you mind telling me his name?” _

He knew this boy well as his future rival. No Pokémon game was complete without a headstrong rival to battle against every so often, and Hugh seemed to fit that bill perfectly with his intimidating appearance much like that of an Ace Trainer. He didn’t bother trying to come up with a creative name for Hugh, and he wasn’t one of those people who named their rival something crude for the laughs as he wanted to fully enjoy the game. He kept Hugh written out in the text box and clicked “enter”.

_ “Hugh? Did I get that right?” _

He accepted her response.

_ “Christie! I’m going to entrust you with a Pokémon. I’m sure you’ll be great partners! The moment you choose the Pokémon that will accompany you on your journey, your story will begin. During your journey, you will meet many Pokémon and people with different personalities and points of view. I really hope you learn what is important to you as a result of your travels...That’s right! Befriend new people and Pokémon and grow as a person. That’s the most important goal of your journey! Let’s go visit the world of Pokémon!” _

He had read Professor Juniper’s words carefully, his skin tingling as he did. She seemed to be speaking to him directly especially when she mentioned finding out what was important to him. His true self was important to him,  _ Christie  _ was important to him because she wasn’t just a persona he had created, she was  _ him _ ; they were one in the same. Perhaps this game would get him to think on certain aspects of his life, and just maybe, it would give him the courage and motivation to finally be  _ her _ .

Professor Juniper disappeared for the last time as the screen turned black. He gave it a few moments, ready for the season’s name to pop up on his screen, but it never did. He curled his lips, brows furrowing. Had it frozen? Abruptly, he felt a small shock radiate up from his hands and through the rest of his body. What the fuck? Was that static electricity? Maybe the game really was busted. Damn, and after all that, he wasn’t even going to be able to play it? He went to click a couple of buttons and force the game to start working again when he  _ couldn’t.  _ He was trying to move his fingers, but it was like his limbs weren’t listening to him. The intent he had was clear as day, but he just wouldn’t move. He tried lifting his head or getting up from his spot on the floor, and yet, he was  _ stuck _ . He was frozen for no apparent reason.

He began to panic slightly, wondering if that small shock had actually electrocuted him. His vision was pristine and it didn’t seem like he was going to faint, so he didn’t understand why he had lost all feeling in his body. The Nintendo was still pitch black, though the power LED light was still on. An overwhelming sense of dread weighed down on him, a gnawing in the pit of his stomach. What was happening?! He felt like if he just stopped  _ panicking _ , then it wouldn’t be so bad. He just couldn’t move….How was he going to call for help then? The thought only made things worse for him as his breathing became shallow and beads of sweat formed on the sides of his head. What was he going to do?!

And then, as if all his nervous energy had come to fruition, his 3DS started to buzz, a low yet piercing sound. It hurt his ears, but there was nothing he could do about it. The buzz cut out dramatically like an old TV popping to life, and out of nowhere, a blue ring appeared on the top screen of his Nintendo. Terrified and unable to move, all he could do was simply watch as the ring expanded until it was off the screen. There was a giant flash of blue light that made a crackling sound as if lightning had struck. Then, a draft blew through his home, picking up speed until his hair was flapping up from the force. He was surprised he wasn’t sent flying himself as a blue and black tornado manifested out of the top screen of his Nintendo.

It started out small like a candle flame, but quickly grew in size. It stretched out, allowing him to see the inside, which was just as pitch black as his screen had been. Still, he was glued to the spot, not even able to scream or cry out for help. He prayed this was all some crazy dream that he would soon escape from as the tornado swirled higher and higher. The black approached his face, and before he knew it, he was being sucked into the portal.

* * *

Black. All he could remember was black, and currently, that was all he could see. He was trapped in that limbo between sleep and wakefulness when one becomes conscious, yet doesn’t open their eyes. He felt warm and somehow safe though like he was tucked into bed. He exhaled harshly through his nostrils, attempting to stir himself awake. His alarm wasn’t shrieking at him, so he assumed he had woken up earlier than expected. His head wasn’t pounding and he felt rather well-rested however, so he wasn’t complaining. When did he go to bed last night? He was finding it hard to remember… 

Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, his sight unclear as he willed the sleep away. He sighed contently as the covers on top of him were warm and comfy. He noticed his voice was a little off as it sounded higher-pitched than usual. Was he coming down with something? Reluctantly, he pulled his arms out from under the blankets, raising them up and over his head as he stretched. His mouth parted wide as he did so, releasing a loud yawn in the process. But, his voice  _ really  _ sounded odd now, almost like an entirely different person. He blinked and scrunched his eyebrows as he lowered his arms back down. Finally, he took note of the room he was in and the cream colored walls. His room was blue...Was he at a friend’s?

He hummed curiously as he sat up, shutting his eyes and shaking out his hair. However, there was a lot more weight to his head than he recalled and something fell about his shoulders. When he opened his eyes again, he gasped sharply at what he saw. His arms were laid out before him on the  _ pink  _ duvet and they were much skinnier and smaller than before. The dark hair that usually lined his arms was gone. His fingers were long and dainty, his nails polished and well taken care of. His eyes widened to the size of saucers, panic overtaking him once more; it felt familiar. He quickly whipped around, trying to fling his legs over the edge of the bed to get up and find a mirror when he came face to face with one.

There was a vanity to his left with a big circular mirror. His jaw slackened at his own reflection for what he saw wasn’t  _ Sam _ , but Rosa. Where there had once been black hair, there was now piles and piles of beautifully long brown locks shrouding his frame. His beard was nowhere to be found, his chin rounded and his cheeks squishy like a child’s. His eyes were much bigger and blue. He could only see as far down as his waist, but the rest of his body was dressed in a long pink nightgown. His hair was down and not in the traditional sock buns with loose strands, but there was no doubt in his mind, though, that he was, in fact, Rosa from Pokémon Black and White 2.

He was unsure how any of this had happened, or if it was even  _ happening  _ at this point (it could have been a dream). He didn’t move for a while, simply staring at his reflection in the mirror, unable to believe what he was seeing. A knot formed in his chest, and he found it hard to swallow. He watched his very irisies tremble as he tried to process what was going on. Eventually though, he surmised that it had to be some kind of  _ illusion _ . Cautiously, as if he was afraid of himself, he lifted up his right arm. His reflection did the same. He flexed his fingers while his arm was in the air, and still, his reflection copied him. He unceremoniously dropped his arm back down onto his lap, his mouth forming an “o” as he continued to scrutinize his new appearance.

Was that really  _ him?  _ He was in control of his movements and his thoughts. He didn’t hear any other input from deep within the recesses of his mind, so obviously this was  _ him _ . How had this happened? He thought back, trying to scrounge up any vague memory he could. He recalled walking home from work, exhausted by that stubborn client. But, he had spotted something in the grass, hadn’t he? He inhaled deeply as it all suddenly came crashing down on him. Flashes of memories barreled through his mind: picking up the cartridge of Black 2, starting up his 3DS at home, a moment of dysphoria before he chose the female trainer, and finally the swirling blue and black portal that had sucked him up.

Had the tornado done this to him? Where even was he? He maneuvered his head gently, afraid of navigating this new body, to look around the room. The bed was in the middle of the room with a computer sitting atop a desk across the room. There was the vanity in front of him and a door next to that with a floor lamp in the corner. He recognized the layout and color scheme in an instant: this was Rosa’s room. Did that mean..? Was he really  _ in  _ the Pokémon world? Had that portal transported him  _ inside the game _ ? 

“Christie! I’m home!”

He jolted when he heard someone else’s shrill voice reverberate down the hall. He spun around to eye what appeared to be the entrance to the room as that’s where the voice had come from. Had they just called him  _ Christie _ ? He thought he recognized the voice as well, but he couldn’t quite place it…

Whoever it was began knocking on the door, causing him to practically jump out of his skin. He ended up on his knees behind the side of the bed faster than he thought possible, his hands gripping the edge. Only the top of his head and his eyes were visible as he shook anxiously. He couldn’t let anyone see him like this!

“Get dressed, honey! I have some very exciting news for you when you’re ready!”

Fortunately, the person didn’t try and come in. He only let out a sigh of relief when he heard their footsteps heading away from him. He popped his head out from over the side of the bed, gripping the duvet tightly. He shook off his panic, attempting to focus despite his current predicament. After a moment, he realized that the person who addressed him was clearly Rosa’s mom. Was he at the beginning of the game? It felt like it as it opened with Rosa’s mom returning home and then telling the player of the grand adventure they were about to embark on. Was he going to do that? This was all  _ way  _ too much to take in.

He stood with an exasperated sigh, hands instinctively reaching up to brush through his hair and entangle themselves there. He pressed at his forehead, trying to quell the rising panic within him; it didn’t help that he wasn’t used to having so much  _ hair,  _ the familiar gesture feeling odd thanks to it. His mind was still swirling, and he puffed out his cheeks. His hands slid out from his hair as he turned to once again face himself in the mirror. He took a few steps towards it in order to get a closer look.

He peered into the mirror, eyes roaming over his  _ new  _ face. He had always admired Rosa for her stark beauty, innocent yet sophisticated, everything he aspired to be. He brought his hand up to pull at his own round cheek. He pulled so hard he exposed the red inside of his eye; just another test to see if this was  _ real  _ and all the evidence pointed to  _ yes _ . His eyes flickered up to stare into his own pools of blue. He traced the subtle curve of his nose and the plump pink of his lips. He moved his hand down to grip at his indistinct chin. He squished it, reveling in how soft his skin was.

Wasn’t this... _ Wasn’t this what he had always wanted _ ? He longed for the day he could be  _ himself _ , to be in the  _ right  _ body. Hadn’t he been gifted just that? And, now that he thought about it, hadn’t Rosa’s mother addressed him  _ properly _ ? She had called him  _ Christie _ . Not Sam, but his preferred name. He removed his hand from his face, bringing the other one up to gently flex all ten of his fingers. He felt so much more  _ in tune  _ with this body; it wasn’t bulky or clumsy like his other one had been. He felt balanced and stable despite the new additions to himself such as the long strands of hair cascading down his frame. Once more, his eyes drifted to the mirror. He was… _ beautiful _ .

Then, he realized something, something that made him blush furiously. He watched a dark red hue spread across his cheeks, the bridge of his nose, and finally to the tips of his ears. This body was perfect in more ways than  _ one _ . His gaze fell to land on his no longer flat chest. While Rosa wasn’t fully-developed in that area, she at least had what he had always desired: breasts. His hands came up, trembling as they were frozen before his new assets. He bit down on his bottom lip, flustered beyond belief. He had never touched a girl’s breasts before, but he had always been so envious of them, hating his own chiseled pectorals. He always knew he was meant to have breasts of his own, ones he could cup and massage to remind him that he was in the  _ right  _ body.     
  
But, now that he was given the chance, he was afraid of touching them. There was a nagging thought in the back of his mind: if he touched them, he’d  _ know  _ they weren’t real. Surely, this was too good to be true. And yet, he could feel them weighing down his chest, moving slightly whenever he took in a breath. Wanting to save himself the anxiety, he decided to breathe in deeply before bringing his hands forward to rest on his chest. He accidentally held his breath at what he felt. They were absolutely  _ real  _ as he felt the fat mound fill his hand, squishing whenever he applied more pressure. His blush was still prominent as he felt himself up. Somehow not believing it still, he grabbed the hem of his nightgown, lifting it all the way up to tuck it under his chin. He hadn’t been wearing a bra, so his perfectly shaped breasts were instantly revealed to him. 

They looked better than anything he had ever imagined. They were captivatingly round, the brown of his areola complimenting his light skin. At first, his nipples were soft and barely noticeable, but as they were exposed to the cool air of the room, they perked up. His mouth parted in awe as he felt them tense up and expand, creating a rigid nub. Unable to control himself, he reached up to cup his boobs, twisting his hands underneath the fat. He squeezed them before moving up to prod at his erect nipples. His own nipples had never felt this  _ good _ , this  _ right _ .

But, as he fondled his chest, he remembered something else. Breasts weren’t the only difference between girls and boys...He let go of his boobs, eyes trailing down his new curvy body to land on his cotton panties. The very bane of his existence had always been his genitalia as his penis had felt foreign to his body,  _ alien _ . His brain had been in conflict with his body, telling him that his penis didn’t belong there, that it was only hindering him,  _ preventing  _ him from being who he really was. He had thought about getting rid of it himself numerous times, but now it seemed as if he didn’t have to.

His eyes shook weakly, face still hot from his exploration. He felt a pleasant feeling swell up inside his chest, tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. He was just so  _ excited  _ and  _ happy  _ to be rid of his penis, to have the  _ right  _ parts. He didn’t even really care about the sexual aspect of it; he just wanted a vagina for himself, to make him feel comfortable in his own skin. Shakily, his hands reached down to hook into his panties. He counted to three in his head before pulling them down, letting them fall around his ankles. He widened his stance, leaning forward to see it better.

The first thing he saw was a patch of coarse brown pubic hairs. He remembered having a nest of curls right above his penis, but now he had a lot more hair down there as well. It formed a triangle over the exterior of his vagina, dipping down between his legs. He couldn’t see anything below, so he slid his hand down his effeminate stomach, past his wider hips, until he was sifting through those wild hairs. He lined his hand up in the center of the mound before diving in. His hand ended up positioning itself as his middle finger traced one of his lips and his ring finger traced the other. He let out a faint squeak as his fingers pressed into his velvetly vaginal lips.

He mapped his lips, trailing his fingers all the way down and then right back up. He rubbed them for a moment, not used to his skin being so malleable. After a few times, he delved his middle finger inside, circling his round clit. He felt a shiver rack his spine at his own touch, giggling under his breath. His face wasn’t overheating anymore, though, it was still a shade of light pink as he fondled himself. He pressed both fingers in past his lips, sliding them down over his urethra, down to his vaginal opening. He could already feel himself slickening, his light touches enough to get him producing lubricant, something he hadn’t been able to do before. He caressed and pushed against his opening, but that was all he could muster for now. While he would love to explore his body more in-depthly, he felt he had more pressing matters to attend to. Besides, he was just happy to possess the genitals he had always dreamed of.

He let out a shuddery breath as he lifted his chin so that his nightgown could cover up his body again, or else he would stand here all day ogling and groping it. It was impossible to believe, and yet, it was right here in front of him: he was a  _ girl _ . This body was rightfully  _ hers _ . He didn’t honestly care about the how, he was just thankful that he was given this opportunity to live as he always should have, to be as he truly was. No longer did he have to feel uncomfortable in his own skin. No longer did he have to hide behind a facade, watching his every action to make sure it wasn’t overly “feminine”. No longer did he have to loathe his own body or have it feel foreign. No longer did he have to answer to his dead name,  _ Sam _ . From this moment onward,  _ she  _ was now Christie.

She left out a sigh of relief once more, hands going to her hips. She gazed confidently at herself in the mirror, fully prepared for whatever was to come. And, if this truly was a dream, she hoped she never had to wake up. Finally accepting her appearance, Christie began to process where she was. She assumed she had been transported into the Pokémon Black 2 game as this was Rosa’s room and she had taken Rosa’s body. Just like in the game, she had become the main character of this exciting voyage. But, if she was in a Pokémon game, then that obviously meant she was in the Pokémon world! 

She gasped quietly to herself, suddenly understanding her mother’s words. Today was the start of own Pokémon adventure, yet another dream come true. She had to get dressed right away! She knew what her mother was going to say, and after that lecture, she was going to be sent out into the world to obtain her first Pokémon from Bianca. Determined and completely accepting of her new situation, she reached out to fling open the top drawer under the vanity. She hurriedly grabbed her clothes for the day, the same outfit Rosa was known for, and then headed into the bathroom to change. 

She didn’t want to waste anymore time looking over her body as she was satisfied for now, but as she removed her panties, she recognized a pressure in her gut. Not thinking anything of it, she stepped over to the toilet, automatically reaching down to grasp a penis that was no longer there. She blinked, her lips curling and her dark blush returning as she realized what had to be done. It would take a while to get used to this new body and all its splendor, but she would take it one step at a time. She went to sit down on the toilet, feeling a bit weird since she normally only sat down when she had to go  _ the other way _ . She wrapped her arms around her stomach, spreading her legs as far as she could. Despite her embarrassment, she still wished to see what happened. She fidgeted on the toilet, nothing happening for a few moments, but eventually, she was able to relax enough for a steady stream to begin to flow out of her.

She squeaked when she felt her urethra open up, a warmth spreading across her vagina as her piss hit it on the way down. Her lower body was lax as she relieved herself, the only sounds in the bathroom being the faint hiss of her pee and the tinkling noise it made as it landed in the toilet bowl. She held onto herself incredibly tight, feeling a bit light-headed at the new and wonderful sensation. Her clit was even beginning to pulse, the tell-tale sign of arousal. Unfortunately, the feeling passed as her urine ran out, her stream diminishing into just a few droplets. 

She let out a shaky moan as she shivered, her thighs flexing as she went to clench her legs shut involuntarily. Humming to herself at the pleasant feeling, she reached over to wrap a section of toilet paper about her hand. After folding it, she stood, squatting slightly. She went to wipe her vagina clean, putting a bit too much pressure on the paper as she attempted to rub herself through it. She ripped a hole right in it, causing her to have to bring it back up and fold it again. Careful this time, she managed to wipe herself clean, tossing the used toilet paper into the bowl when she was done. 

She flushed, still tingling down below. She tried to ignore the sensation as she began to put on her new clothes. She slipped on a pair of pink panties, loving the way they bunched up against her vagina. Next was a plain white bra that took her a moment to fasten, but it fit snugly once she did so. She took a moment to savor the fact that she could now fit into women's clothing and that she wouldn’t be stared at for wearing them. She was thrilled to look so cute. She pulled on her black lycra leggings, her frilly yellow shorts soon after. She twirled around in her attire, laughing when her shorts blew up like a tutu.

She put on her pink tank top, tying it in a girly bow about her neck. Then, she slipped on her long-sleeved shirt with the salmon Pokéball over her chest. The fabric conformed to her shapely body, showing off just how alluring she was. She got her pink socks and her hi-top shoes on as well, but she realized something when she went to put on her visor: she had yet to brush her unruly mop of hair. And, to her horror, she also realized that she had no idea how to do her own hair. Sure, she could brush it out, but she had no idea how to create a sock bun.

She gripped the brush tightly, not sure what to do now. She could look it up on the computer, but even then, she might not understand how to do it. She stood in the bathroom for a minute, trying to figure out how to achieve Rosa’s trademark look when a loud knocking at the door made her jolt.

“Christie? You in there? You’ve been getting ready for an awfully long time.”

It was her mother again. Her panic died down, but she hesitated to answer. She hadn’t used her voice properly yet and she wondered how it would sound.

“Y...Yes, I’m in here.” A grin spread across her face when she heard how lovely her voice was. It was soft and obviously feminine, rolling right off her tongue. It wasn’t strained or forced in any way. “Ah, I’m just having trouble with my hair.”   


She heard her mother laugh outside the door. “What? Can’t get it into a ponytail? You know I have to help you with the buns, right?”    
  
She giggled awkwardly, hand reaching up to scratch at her lips. Of course, why didn’t she think of that? Her mother could easily help her with her hair. She walked over to the bathroom door, slowly pulling it open. For a second, she expected her mother’s jaw to drop or for some obscene look of fright to morph her features, but instead her eyes landed on a tender smile. Why would her mother be surprised to see her? This was who she  _ was _ after all. 

Her mother reached out for the brush in her hand. “Here, let me help you. Your hair decided to be a rat’s nest on today of all days!” she exclaimed with a short laugh at the end.

Her mom was able to get her hair situated in no time at all. It was like clockwork for her as her hands moved fluidly, positioning the socks about her two ponytails and rolling them under to form her buns. She brushed out the loose strands so they weren’t disheveled and even spritzed a bit of hair spray on top to make sure it all stayed together. Once that was taken care of, Christie picked up her pink and white handbag out of her bedroom, ready to set out on her adventure.

Her mother lead her into the living room, turning back to look her with shimmering eyes and a bright smile. “Now, as for that exciting news I was going to tell you...Do you know Professor Juniper? She’s a famous Pokémon researcher. Actually, she’s an old friend of mine, and she called me today for the first time in ages! This is out of the blue, but, Christie! Do you want to have a Pokémon?” 

She recognized the opening dialogue well after playing the game a couple of times. She rose her hand to straighten out her visor, nodding curtly. “Of course!”

“Okay! Step one completed! Well then, do you know what a Pokédex is?”

“What trainer doesn’t?” She laughed, loving the fact that she could respond more like herself instead of being restricted to yes or no.

“I knew you would! Isn’t it amazing how it automatically records Pokémon you encounter? Yet another question! You want a Pokédex, right?”

“Yes!” Although, sometimes a simple answer was best.

“Okay! Step two completed! Christie, your course of action has been set! A girl named Bianca has come here to meet you! She’s Professor Juniper’s assistant. I was told to simply look for a big, green hat. That’s right! You’re going to look for Bianca. And then you’ll get a Pokédex and a Pokémon to be your partner! Oh! She might be lost because this is her first time here. Go look for her!”

“Awesome! Will do, Mom!”

And, to her surprise, her mother responded with a line that wasn’t in the game’s script: “I know you’re going to be a great trainer, Christie.”

* * *

“Yer a pathetic piece o’ shit, y’know dat?” 

Christie knew this part of her journey all too well. She was supposed to meet up with Bianca in Aspertia City’s outlook where the girl would entrust her with a Pokédex and a starter Pokémon. She had been going over the pros and cons of the Unova starters in her head, trying to decide which one to pick as her  _ real  _ life companion; it was harder than it seemed. As she had ascended the steps to the outlook, she wondered where her rival was considering she was supposed to meet him and his little sister before making it here. Since she was in the game, did she  _ not  _ have to follow its progression?

Ultimately, that seemed to be the case as instead of stumbling upon Bianca at the outlook, she was met with a rather bulky looking trainer and his Charmander. The man seemed to be much older than ten, probably somewhere in his twenties. He was completely bald and adorned in a leather jacket with matching black pants. He seemed like a typical “badass” biker, someone who overexerted their masculinity, someone she  _ used  _ to be afraid of.

“So damn weak. What am I even trainin’ ya fer?!” he yelled at the clearly distraught creature before moving forward as if to stomp on its tail.

The Charmander shrieked, quickly pulling its tail to its chest protectively. Her eyes widened, awed that there was an  _ actual  _ Pokémon before her, but she didn’t have time to stare. She noticed how small the flame on its tail was. Coupled with the man’s harsh words, she  _ knew  _ this man was mistreating his Pokémon. How could someone be so  _ vile _ ?

“Hey! Leave it alone!” she called as she climbed up the last few steps, now standing on the outlook.

“Huh?” The man had already taken out his Pokéball, returning the pitiful creature to its  _ prison _ considering who its trainer was. He glanced back over his shoulder at her, not paying her too much mind.

“You can’t talk to a Pokémon like that! That’s your partner,  _ your companion _ ! What’s wrong with you?” she demanded as she stalked up to him, a fire raging in her chest. Who gave this man the right to treat his Charmander like that? It was abusive and wrong, and she wouldn’t stand for it. She glowered up at him, face stern and puckered.

He chuckled at her, turing fully to face her. “N’ why can’t I? Who’s gonna stop meh?”

He was obviously trying to intimidate her, but she wasn’t going to back down. The downtrodden look on that Charmander’s face spurred her on; no Pokémon should  _ ever  _ look that way.

“I am!” she declared proudly, shoving her thumb towards her chest, her breasts jiggling with the violent action, catching the man’s attention.

He chuckled again, this time sounding much more  _ malicious _ . He hunched over, getting closer to her face. “Tell ya what, buttercup. Since ya sure do like ta sure dat mouth of yers,” he said, leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Why don’t ‘cha blow meh fer ‘im?”

She felt that heat blossom on her face again at the man’s promiscuous suggestion and how he had complimented  _ her true self _ . But, blow him? Okay, now she  _ really  _ knew she didn’t have to stick to the game’s plot. She had never participated in any sexual activity before, a complete and utter virgin. She wasn’t  _ that  _ naive, though, as she had taken sex ed and watched her fair share of porn, but she had never felt comfortable with the thought of sex in her old body.  Yet, this was her  _ new  _ body. How would it react to such a service? Was this the proper way to christen it? The entire way here her panties  _ had  _ been sticking to her, the underside still damp from her earlier state of arousal. She was  _ curious _ as she wanted to experience as much as she could in this new state of being. Would it feel good to have this stranger’s dick down her throat? There was only one way to find out...Besides, she had to do it to save the Charmander! She would never be able to live with herself if she allowed the man to walk off with it. She wanted the little guy by her protective side, not under this tyrant’s beck and call.

_ “Deal.” _

Her first sexual experience was not as  _ romantic  _ as she expected, though, she didn’t really consider this sex since she was using her mouth. They had hopped over the little railing of the outlook to hide themselves away in the trees off to the side, away from any prying eyes. He had leaned up against the bole of a hefty tree, hand reaching down to unzip his jeans. She had taken her place on her knees before him, fidgeting slightly, a bit anxious since she had never done this before; she didn’t want to disappoint him and have him not give her his Charmander. He had reached into his boxers, pulling out his already hardened cock, pumping his shaft briefly for her.

“She’s all yers, beautiful,” he whispered hoarsely as she practically went cross-eyed trying to look at the tip that was right in front of her face. She bit down on her bottom lip, whining under her breath at the way he complimented her.

With a gulp, she reached out to take his place, her palm wrapping around the base of his dick. As a  _ woman _ , she had always been straight, feeling no attraction to the same gender, so at the very least, this act wasn’t disgusting to her. She saw a drop of pre-cum bead out of his slit, her mouth parting at the sight. She went to lean in and wrap her lips around the head when a ripe odor assaulted her nostrils. She froze for a moment, enraptured by the musky stench. She pumped his cock slowly as she tried to breathe in more of that raunch yet appealing odor. She examined his member more thoroughly, noticing the traces of white around the tip: smegma. She hummed, spreading her legs underneath her as she felt her pussy pulse with need.

She heard him laugh darkly above her. “Ya like dat, baby? Dat’s what a real man smells like~.”

She nodded her head in agreement, her eyes becoming half-lidded as she finally dipped down to bring his tip into her mouth. She sucked eagerly, hollowing out her cheeks to feel his cock on the roof of her mouth. She swirled her tongue about the head, moaning around it as she knew she was licking him clean. She lapped at the mushroom tip, purposely digging her tongue into his slit, causing him to hiss; she wanted to taste that pre-cum to know what a  _ real  _ man was like. Her hand gently moved up and down the length of his shaft as she slaved over the tip.

Eventually though, she wanted to take more of him into her mouth. She relaxed her jaw, moving her hand to tap against his sack as she went in further. He groaned above her, his hand coming down to grip at the back of her head. She winced at his tight hold that was now keeping her in place on his erection. She pushed forward, allowing his head to hit the back of her throat. Thankfully she didn’t have a gag reflex, because as soon as she swallowed around him, he bucked his hips, slipping his cock all the way down her throat. She breathed heavily through her nose, squeezing her eyes shut as she focused on getting him off; she really didn’t want anything to do with this douchebag.

She was aroused, but she doubted he was going to return the favor for her, so there was no reason to prolong their session. Her hand that had been on his shaft moved down to fondle and juggle his balls as she slurped around his member. She kept her tongue still as she continued to deepthroat him. Her nose was pressed into his own thick patch of pubes and his sweaty aroma was much more prominent there. She moaned deeply around his dick, the vibrations causing him to cry out as well. The pressure in her clit became unbearable, so she reached down with her free hand to begin rubbing herself through her clothes.

Stimulated by her moans, the man wanted even more from her. He yanked on her hair, pulling her almost completely off his member, the head the only thing left in her mouth, before forcing her back down on him. She made a weird sound at the sudden change in pace, but she easily grew accustomed to it as he set the rhythm. Her eyes were hazy as she focused on working her clit instead of how hard he was pounding into the back of her throat. Soon, his movements became frenzied and jerky, signaling that he was close to release. She rubbed her own clith raw, frantic to orgasm with him.

“Shit... _ Swallow _ ,” he commanded in a gruff tone as he slammed her back down onto his cock for the final time. And, she happily obliged, not wanting to meet Bianca with cum on her face and in her hair.

She came at the exact moment he did, gasping as his warm seed spilled down her throat, and her legs clamped together to ride out her climax.

They stayed like that for a few moments before his grip on her hair loosened. She pulled back from his dick, letting go of his tip with an audible  _ pop _ . There was drool dribbling out of the corner of her mouth, her jaw a bit sore from the experience. She reached up to wipe away the drool with the back of her hand as she stood. He took a few more seconds to compose himself, finally going to stuff his now flaccid member back into his boxers. He zipped himself back up, smirking at her as his hand slid over his belt.

“Heh, thanks cupcake. I’ll remember dat one fer sure,” he commented as he grabbed the Pokéball that his Charmander was stored in. “Ere take da runt. I don’t need a weakling like ‘im on mah team no ways.”

He tossed the Pokéball to her, and she easily caught it, cupping it in her hands. An impish grin plastered itself onto her face once the Charmander was securely in her care. “Thanks,” she replied before stepping forward to knee him right in the balls, “ _ Jackass _ .”

He yelped in pain, hands instinctively reaching down to hold onto his precious jewels, as he sunk to his knees. She turned her back on him, flippantly whipping her hair over her shoulder as she began to walk away.

He laughed under his breath, tears welling in the corners of his eyes. “Gotta love dat spunk, baby doll.” 

* * *

After her encounter with the abusive trainer, she returned to the outlook to wait for Bianca to show up. She hoped Bianca would still come here as she really didn’t want to go hunting after the girl. In the meantime, she had gotten to know her Charmander. She had released the poor thing from its Pokéball, getting down on her knees to speak with it at its level. It had been afraid of her at first, trembling as it clutched its own tail, but she soon made it feel safe and comfortable with her nurturing aura. She had given it the option of going back into the wild or staying with her, and it had gladly chosen to become her partner on her Pokémon journey since Christie was its savior. They had shared a meaningful hug, and she had been awed to be able to actually interact with a  _ Pokémon,  _ to feel its leathery skin beneath her fingers. She had learned that the Charmander was a boy when trying to pick out a nickname for him.    
  
She hummed in contemplation. “What about...Tai? How does that sound?”    
  
“Char, char!” He began to hop from side to side to show his appreciation. 

She giggled. “Tai it is!”

“Oh, wow! You and Charmander are a perfect match!”

Tai jumped at the girl’s voice and her own head snapped up. She smiled when she saw that it was Bianca climbing up the outlook stairs. Tai hid behind her, quaking as he wasn’t used to being around so many kind people.

“I guess I don’t need to provide you with a starter then, huh?”

Christie’s smile only stretched at Bianca’s words. She reached around her to pull Tai in for another big hug. It turned out she didn’t have to make a decision after all as Tai found her. She had always enjoyed the Kanto region the most anyways, which made Tai the perfect companion for her Pokémon adventure. She supposed she was like Ash in that way since he couldn’t decide on a starter either before getting stuck with Pikachu.

Although Bianca didn’t gift her a starter Pokémon, she did entrust her with a Pokédex, after all, just as her mother had said she would. And, right on cue, Hugh came barreling up the steps, determined visage set on the device in her hands.

“What’s that you’re holding there?” 

“It’s a Pokédex!” Bianca chirped. 

“Please, give me a Pokédex too! I want to get stronger! If I have a Pokédex, I can learn more about Pokémon...That’ll make me tougher, right?”

Bianca rose a brow, tilting her head. “Um...who are you again?”

“I’m Hugh! I’m going to travel the Unova region with my Pokémon partner in order to search for something very important!”

After some persuading and prodding, Bianca handed him a Pokédex as well, almost completely the beginning scene of the game. She pondered briefly on Hugh’s words. She couldn’t quite remember his piece of the story...What exactly was he searching for? However, she was soon snapped out of her speculations by Bianca’s lively tone.

“You both have Pokémon, right? Why don’t you have a Pokémon battle?”

And while she didn’t want to expose Tai to something like that just yet, Hugh was already fired up. 

“Let’s see how good a trainer you are! I’ll use my Oshawott that I raised from an egg!” 

She thought it was cool that the game had somehow known that her starter was still a Fire-type and gave Hugh the Water-type starter to account for it. They would still be passionate rivals it seemed! While Hugh called out his Oshawott, she turned to Tai with a tender smile on her face. His own mouth fell open in a grin.

“Tai, do you want to battle? I want to make sure you’re comfortable with this first.”

He hesitated for a moment before something seemed to gleam in his beady eyes. He thrusted his fist into the air, dashing his way in front of her. He balled up both of his little fists, holding them tightly in front of him, prepared for battle.

“Char, char!”

He would do  _ anything  _ for the girl that saved him from his cruel master. He would put his life on the line to protect her just as she had.

Christie cheered him on, and Hugh snickered.

“Looks like you really are taking good care of your Pokémon already, huh?”

The first rival battle was always the easiest considering neither of their Pokémon knew anything but Tackle. Tai listened to her surprisingly well considering that they had just met, but she supposed he was like any starter. Hugh commanded his Oshawott to dodge her first attempts at tackling him. His Pokémon was clever, taunting Tai as it jumped from place to place to avoid being hit. She could tell this was only frustrating him as he charged blindly. However, their opportunity struck when Hugh proceeded to use Tail Whip instead of countering. She assumed he was hoping to lower Tai’s defenses and end it with a one-hit K.O., but she beat him to it. 

“Now, Tai! Tackle attack!” 

Tai let out a fierce growl for such a small creature, hurtling towards Hugh’s Oshawott. The Oshawott panicked, wagging its tail as fast as it could to try and stop Tai.

“Oshawott, dodge it!”

But, it was too late. Tai’s forehead connected with Oshawott’s torso, right above his clam. Oshawott was sent flying back, hitting the ground a few times, before rolling over to Hugh’s feet. The Oshawott had fainted.

Hugh sighed with a smile on his face. He returned Oshawott to its Pokéball, staring at it lovingly. “I couldn’t achieve victory for my partner...I won’t let myself forget this frustration!” he declared, raising his Pokéball up into the air as if to honor his fallen friend. 

She couldn’t help but laugh at how serious Hugh was already starting to take things especially when he could have effectively countered with his own Tackle.

Christie’s Pokémon journey was already shaping up to be a great one, but she could only wonder what more the game had in store for her, what twists and turns she would be forced to go down, what trials and tribulations she would have to face with Tai and the rest of her faithful companions at her side. She had begun a miraculous journey, one that would not only sate her in more ways than imaginable, but reveal to her who the true Christie really was.


	2. Bumpy Road

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christie faces her first challenge along her Pokemon journey. Will she come out victorious or realize that this life isn't meant for her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I'd like to apologize for the delay in updating this fic and uploading new works. My life was been incredibly stressful but also awfully exciting recently as I made the transition from high school graduate to college freshman! I have to find reinvent my entire schedule while also getting accustomed to the workload. I had to look for a new job as well. Plus, I live in an area that was affected by Hurricane Florence recently and I took my first ever trip to Washington, DC over the weekend! A lot of good things have been happening to me, it's just been difficult for me to find the time for my passion, writing. I believe I have everything worked out now though and I hope to reach my goal of 200,000 this year despite everything that has been happening in my life. Thank you all for your continued support and patience!
> 
> Big thanks to the anonymous commissioner, who requested this next chapter, for their patience as well! It is always a pleasure to work with you, and see what Christie will accomplish next. I can feel my love for Pokemon being reinvigorated every time I write for this work. 
> 
> Now, let's get this party started!
> 
> Disclaimer: I in no way own Pokemon nor do I own any of its characters.

“Oh Tai, what are we gonna do?”

“Char char…”

Christie sighed exasperatedly as she went to take a seat on a small rounded boulder by a patch of tall grass. She plopped herself down, placing her elbows on her knees so that she could cup her face with both hands. She stared down at the ground, her eyebrows furrowed and her lips pressed into a thin tight line. Tai whimpered quietly, bringing his tail to his chest in order to hug it. He didn’t like seeing his trainer so distressed. It made him feel like he had done something wrong despite the fact that he knew what was bothering Christie. She released another heavy sigh, kicking up some dirt with one of her feet. So far her Pokémon journey hadn’t been going as _swimmingly_ as she thought it would. Things were so much easier when she had been on the outside looking in. A few clicks on her Nintendo would have made traveersing Route 20 childsplay, but instead, she was stuck navigating her own way around without an aerial view to help her and having to take her time down the path seeing as she had tried running earlier only to wear herself out to the point where she needed a ten minute breather. It also didn’t help that she could barely remember where to go or what to do since she hadn’t played the game in so long.

Still, she would rather be terribly lost than back in the real world trapped in the wrong body. At least in the Pokémon world, she was free to be herself and experience life as she truly wanted to live it. She took in a deep breath. She couldn’t focus solely on the negative or she would never complete her journey! This was her first step of many. She couldn’t give up so easily. There were far more _strenuous_ tasks ahead. Though, she almost wished that she had taken Bianca up on her offer of teaching her how to catch Pokémon. At least then she would have some sense of where to go and what to do, but seeing as she was sentient in this world, she was free to make her own choices; she didn’t necessarily have to follow the game’s path. It was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, she was glad that she could make this journey her own, entirely unique and extraordinary. However, being able to make her own choices also meant that she could make the _wrong_ choices and end up in a lot of trouble such as her current predicament.

While Bianca hadn’t come with her to give her the basic tutorial on catching wild Pokémon, she had still crossed paths with Alder on her way through Route 19. She supposed there were some things that she couldn’t miss out on, or had it been mere coincidence that she had met the previous champion? That was something she would definitely have to test out, but for the time being, she seemed to be progressing down the game’s main path. Alder had offered to train her in his home in Floccesy Town, and yet, right as they were about to enter his home, he had noticed the second Town Map she had been carrying since the two of them had been stuffed into the side pocket of her messenger bag. Christie had followed Bianca to the nearest Pokémon Center after her first battle with Hugh as she had wanted to fully heal Tai; she hadn’t liked the way he looked all scuffed up after his encounter with Hugh’s Oshawott. As she had exited the Pokémon Center, her mom and Hugh’s sister had approached her. She had received a pair of running shoes from her mother and a Town Map from Hugh’s sister. But, the little girl had informed her that Hugh ran off before she had had a chance to give him his map, and of course, she had gladly offered to take it to him, knowing they would cross paths eventually.

Alder had asked her why she was carrying two maps and she had quickly explained that the second one was for her friend; she had known _exactly_ where that conversation had been leading. Alder had seen Hugh and his Oshawott pass through earlier. He told her that Hugh had run off towards Route 20 in hopes of training his Pokémon to be that much stronger. Alder refused to train her until she had given Hugh his map, so she had no choice but to enter Route 20. She hadn’t expected the path to be this _perilous_. The routes always seemed so short in the real world, but when she was plopped into the middle of it, she realized just how big it really was. Her and Tai had been walking for a good little bit now and all they had seen so far was more and more trees. The trail cutting through them was straight and she couldn’t see anything else beyond the dense forest. The only thing she had been able to hear was the sound of her own crunching footsteps and Tai’s pitter patter from behind her. She swore they had walked an entire mile down the trail, but there was no sign of it ever coming to an end. Each heavy step had cracked at her will until she had finally given up and succumbed herself to her fate, pausing now at the boulder.

Christie rubbed her feet into the dirt, creating little craters in the ground shaped exactly like the undersides of her tennis shoes. She admired the imprints for a moment, trying to scrounge up her resolve. Finally, she straightened, her hands falling from her face in order to rest between her spread legs, focusing her gaze on Tai. She watched his beady eyes shake, the flame at the end of his tail flickering. She smiled tenderly at him, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable around her. She knew it would take a lot of time and patience since Tai had been abused and neglected by his previous trainer, but she was more than willing to work with him and help him become a carefree and cherished partner Pokémon. She had always taken the Pokémon games seriously, taking the thoughtful messages to heart. Even though Pokémon hadn’t been real then, she felt for them and knew they were much more than mere pets. They were companions and best friends. They deserved to be treated with the same respect and dignity as any human. She had always believed in that resonating motto that no Pokémon was weak as long as it was trained properly and cared for. She would prove that through Tai.

She reached her hand up, gently laying it on top of his head. She patted him while continuing to smile warmly down at him. “C’mon, let’s start walking again. I’m sure we’ll find our way.”

Christie heaved herself back up onto her sore feet, readjusting her bag on her shoulder. She allowed Tai to follow behind her instead of being trapped within the confines of his Pokéball for a few reasons: she enjoyed his company as it would be rather lonesome trekking through the forest herself; she didn’t particularly like the concept of Pokéballs, preferring to keep her loyal companions by her side; and she felt like keeping Tai inside his Pokéball would only further traumatize him and put distance between them. And, while they couldn’t really have in-depth conversations, Tai could still express himself and provide a second opinion for her. She fixed her visor atop her head seeing as it had become saturated with her sweat, sticking to her forehead. She let out another deep breath before looking back towards the path stretching out before them.

“Nothing’s gonna stop us!” she cheered, and Tai released a small victory cry himself. Then, they were off, a newfound vigor overcoming them, giving Christie a slight pep in her step.

One thing that had become inherently easier after being transported into the game herself was avoiding wild Pokémon. She could actually _see_ them coming instead of blindly walking into the tall grass unaware. Although, the added challenge was that wild Pokémon didn’t just appear in the tall grass anymore. Like animals in the real world, they were scattered everywhere: on the trail, in the trees, and way up in the sky. She noticed that they didn’t bother her unless she bothered them, much like most wild creatures in the real world too. She managed to avoid the wild Pokémon for now because she didn’t want Tai to end up injured when they had no idea where they were. In hindsight, she probably should have purchased a few Potions with the money she got from beating Hugh, but it had completely slipped her mind. She only had three Pokéballs, which she had stumbled upon in her bag earlier, most likely from her Mom. Until she found another Pokémon Center, she wouldn’t be able to buy anymore Pokéballs, so she had to ration them accordingly. So far though, none of the Pokémon around her had caught her eye, and she was more than happy to keep Tai as her only companion for now.

She was beginning to wonder if they were truly lost when, fortunately, the densely packed trees began to diminish. Christie blinked a few times, a bright smile stretching across her face. She picked up a brisk pace as she headed towards the part of the trail that seemed to be opening up. Tai was able to match her speed, eagerly running alongside her. The sun was finally allowed to come out again as a large cloud moved out of the way, illuminating the trail in a heavenly light. Christie let out a loud giggle as the two of them passed the last row of trees, coming across a small clearing with a babbling brook.

Christie hurriedly looked back at Tai, her eyes practically sparkling in glee. “We did it!” she yelled before diving forward to scoop the Charmander up into her arms.

“Char char!”

The two of them nuzzled faces for a moment, Christie letting out more bubbly giggles. She sat Tai back down on the ground and then placed her hands on her hips, looking around determinately. They had finally reached Route 20, which didn’t look nearly as intimidating as the trail to it had been. She could clearly see the end of it off in the horizon, the tunnel heading towards Virbank City situated atop a few steep rolling hills. She looked a little closer at the surrounding area and noticed a few Trainers lingering about, more than likely looking for a battle. She gulped, side-eyeing Tai. He was her only Pokémon so far, and even though they had been able to take down Hugh’s Oshawott without a cinch, she was still a bit trepidatious about sending him into battle again especially considering the fact that she didn’t have any Potions. She wondered if she could sneak past the Trainers just as easily as she had snuck past the wild Pokémon...It was worth a shot.

She bent down to be at Tai’s level, holding a hand over her mouth as she went to whisper to him. “Try not to get his attention…” She pointed towards a young boy in a baseball cap who was standing right in front of the bridge they needed to cross in order to get over the brook. There was an arrogant smirk on his face as if he was completely confident in his ability to beat any Trainer he saw.

Christie wasn’t sure what kind or how many Pokémon the boy would have, but she didn’t want to find out. She saw a small rock by her feet and silently reached down to pick it up. She tossed it in her hand a few times, getting a feel for the weight of it. She closed one of her eyes, aiming towards the patch of tall grass behind the boy. She chucked the rock right into the middle of the grass, successfully causing it to rustle and garner the boy’s attention. He twisted his body around to see what had made that sound, presenting Christie and Tai with the perfect opportunity. She didn’t hesitate, immediately going to sprint past the boy and over the bridge, but her shoe ended up getting caught on the edge of one of the boards, sending her straight to the ground. There was a loud _thud_ and she let out a gruff groan as her chin and knees began to radiate with pain. Tai had been right on her heels, though he came to a screeching halt once he saw that Christie hadn’t made it. He flailed behind her, not sure what to do and afraid that his new Trainer was hurt.

Clenching her teeth, Christie pushed herself up with her arms, hissing slightly at the stinging of her knees. She managed to flip herself over in order to sit up. She brought both of her knees to her chest to inspect them. Luckily, they weren’t scrapped, though they were bright red with a small amount of peeling skin. There was no blood, but her limbs felt sore after that dive.

“Char char char char!” Tai shouted repeatedly whilst jabbing one of his fingers at her red knees.

Christie’s lips curled to one side, glad that Tai had been worried about her. She reached her arms out for him, bringing him in closer for a hug. “I’m alright, Tai. Just a little scratch!”

Tai had fidgeted in her arms when she first picked him up, but then, he settled, seeming to let out a sigh of relief. He buried himself into her chest, cuddling her to reassure himself that she was okay and to provide her with comfort after that nasty fall.

They had completely forgotten about the boy in the midst of their chaos. “You can tell how much your opponent wants to fight by looking into his or her eyes, don’t you think?”

She glanced up at the boy looking down on her with his finger rubbing his nostrils and that vicious smirk back on his face. They had locked eyes, which meant they had to battle; it was the number one rule among Trainers. She sighed, holding Tai to her chest a bit tighter. She hoped that the look in her eyes conveyed to the boy that she wanted nothing to do with him, but he didn’t seem to take the hint. Before Christie could even respond, the boy yanked out a Pokéball and threw it to the ground. It popped open with a satisfying clack, a red beam of light bursting out of it. The light took on the form of a Pokémon, though, she couldn’t tell what it was just yet. Butterflies fluttered about in her stomach as she eyed the red light. She prayed that it wasn’t a Water-type Pokémon. At last, the light materialized into a Pokémon with one large pointed tooth and a thin tail with a scruffy tip.

“Patrat!” it cried out, allowing Christie to breathe a sigh of relief this time around. She should have known that a little boy wouldn’t have anything intimidating, but she couldn’t help but fear for Tai’s safety.

Tai began to flail in her arms and she looked down to see that his hands were balled up into tiny fists. He was punching the air in front of him repeatedly, a brave look situated on his face. She laughed at him, snuggling him close for a minute more.

“Are you ready?”

“Charmander char!”  

She giggled softly before releasing Tai from her hold. She brushed the dust off her hands and then went to stand tall and proud, ready to take this youngster head on. It didn’t look like he had anymore Pokéballs around his waist, so she assumed that this was his only Pokémon. She believed they could do this without sustaining any injuries. She had to believe in Tai in order to make him more confident in himself.

“Let’s go, Tai!”

Tai let out an excited cry as he took to his position across from the boy’s Patrat. Christie and the youngster locked eyes once more, something fierce sparking between them, both of them determined to win this battle. Christie honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this was the kid’s first battle, but he sure did act like he had seen it all already. Tai was awaiting her command, his tail slowly whipping back and forth behind him. She narrowed her eyes at the boy before focusing all her attention on Tai.

“Tai, use Leer!”

Her plan was to weaken Patrat to the point that one Tackle would do it in. She knew that using Tackle right away might have been a good option as well, but she didn’t want to put any unnecessary strain on Tai by making him Tackle the Patrat over and over again. She couldn’t wait until Tai started learning some more diverse moves including his signature Fire-type abilities. The two of them would be unstoppable once that happened! For now though, Tai remained in place, his playful grin disappearing as he glowered at the boy’s Patrat. Tai’s eyes grew sharp and then began to glow a deep red. He was locked onto his target, causing Patrat to freeze and tremble in place.

“R-Rat…,” it muttered as it was intimidated by Tai’s glare.

However, the youngster wasn’t having it.

“Patrat, Tackle attack!”

Patrat shook its head, trying to snap out of the daze that Tai had put him in. Patrat hunched over, making itself as aerodynamic as possible, and then it was off, charging head-first towards Tai.

“Dodge it,” she yelled immediately, hoping Tai would be able to get out of the Patrat’s way.

Tai nodded at Christie’s command, then easily maneuvered himself to the right to avoid the attack. He was concentrating as hard as he could on the fight, not wanting to disappoint his new Trainer. He wanted to make Christie proud of him!

“Way to go, Tai!” she cheered for him, causing a grin to stretch across his face. “Now, you use Tackle attack!”

Tai tensed his entire body up as he turned to face Patrat who was now behind him. Patrat seemed a bit disoriented, most likely still confused after Tai’s Leer. Christie felt bad for taking advantage of that fact, but wasn’t that what Leer was supposed to do in the first place? It was too late to regret anything now, though, as Tai barreled towards Patrat as fast as he possibly could. He rammed his head into Patrat’s chest, his whole body soon following suit as it smacked into Patrat. Patrat let out a loud cry as Tai tackled him to the ground, the two of them landing hard enough to cause dirt to fly up and block their Trainers’ vision. They had landed closer to Christie and she coughed as dirt was shot up into her face. She winced, waving her hand in front of her to try and clear the dust.

When all had finally settled, Tai was standing victorious in front of the downed Patrat, its eyes swirling and its mouth held wide open. Patrat had fainted!

Christie couldn’t believe they had executed her plan so flawlessly! Her and Tai really did make a great pair like Bianca had said!

“Tai, you’re the best!” she shouted while jumping up and down in place.  

Tai’s tail wagged happily behind him and his eyes were big and gleeful. “Char char!” he cried out, and then dashed over to Christie, smacking into her legs. She let out a laugh before reaching her arms down to press him against her.

The youngster sighed loudly, scratching at his head. He pulled his Pokéball back out, returning Patrat. He smiled down at the Pokéball though, no doubt proud of his Patrat for giving it its all.

“Wow! I could really tell that you wanted to win!” he commented before digging into his pocket. He pulled out a stack of bills, presenting them to Christie: her earnings from their battle.

She felt somewhat bad for taking the boy’s money, but it was all in good fun and part of the Trainer experience. She hoped that that wasn’t all that he had, though, there was no way to be sure of that; he had given her a meager amount, so she believed it wasn’t everything he had. She had earned it fair and square and it would definitely come in handy when they finally stumbled upon another Pokémon Center. She could really use a few Potions and Pokéballs. And yet, it looked like she might not even need the Potions after all! If Tai kept this up, then she would have no reason to fear.

She pocketed the funds and patted Tai’s back to let him know it was time to trek on. The youngster turned around and headed off back towards Floccesy Town, most likely heading to the Pokémon Center to heal up his Patrat. Tai finally released his tight grip on her legs, but he was giving her a strange look. His eyes were wide and his mouth was parted. He _seemed_ happy, staring up at her eagerly, though she wasn’t sure what he wanted.

She rose a brow at him. “What is it, Tai?”

He wagged his tail and began flailing his arms. Christie didn’t think anything was wrong with him, but she didn’t know what would cause him to be so excited. Was he still happy about winning the previous battle? Tai took a few steps back, looking down at the ground as if gauging the distance between them. She waited patiently, curious as to what he was about to do. He nodded his head and then turned to his side. He balled up his tiny fists, pulling them to his chest. Christie’s eyes widened when she saw the flame on the tip of his tail grow. She realized what was happening just as little red and yellow specks of fire began to spew from Tai’s mouth. He cried out as viciously as he could, spraying a torrent of fire onto the grass in front of him. However, he wasn’t able to maintain the fire for long and soon the sparks began to dwindle until there was nothing left. The specks weren’t large enough to actually set the grass ablaze and they quickly fizzled out, littering the grass with ash instead.

A sharp gasp escaped Christie and she brought her own hands up to her face, shaking them wildly. “You learned Ember?!”

“Charmander char!” Tai squealed in affirmation, obviously glad that he had made his Trainer proud.

Christie couldn’t believe it. She had just been thinking that if Tai learned a Fire-type move he would be a more formidable opponent. Perhaps all her encouragement really had paid off! Tai definitely deserved to learn something new considering how hard he had worked in the two battles they had engaged in. She was still immensely proud of the fact that he had beaten Hugh’s Oshawott so easily. Tai would certainly turn into a force to be reckoned with as long as he stayed by her side. She thought that was fitting considering where he had come from. One day, he would be a mighty Charizard, a Pokémon so big and fearsome that he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone picking on him. Though, even when Tai did eventually evolve into a Charizard, she knew that he wouldn’t change. He would always be her bubbly and somewhat timid sidekick.

“You’re so strong!” she praised. “Nothing’s going to stop you!”

Tai hummed and puffed out his chest, completely confident in himself.

Now that they had successfully taken care of the youngster blocking the bridge, they were able to cross it. Christie tried to remain vigilant, wanting to spot any Trainers before they spotted her, but as the trail cut to their left, a young girl wearing a cute school uniform approached them. She had been nestled into between the trees, no doubt waiting for unsuspecting Trainers to pass by.

“Hey you! Have you seen my cute Pokémon? Take a look!”

Christie didn’t even have time to respond to the lass’s comment as the girl was already whipping out her Pokéball and flippantly tossing it into the air. Seeing as the girl had described her Pokémon as “cute”, Christie didn’t think she had too much to worry about. Besides, Tai had just learned Ember, which would surely end this battle with a one-hit K.O. The red light materialized into a silhouette and then dissipated to reveal the girl’s Pokémon. The Pokémon in question had pointy ears and a tail with a tip that somewhat resembled a scythe.

“Purr purr!”

The lass had a Purrloin, a Pokémon that didn’t intimidate Christie in the slightest. The creature was sitting elegantly in front of its Trainer, its sharp eyes appearing dimmed as it took in the sight of Christie and Tai. Gently, it swayed its tail back and forth, almost as if it was calculating the best method of attack. Something about Purrloin sent a shiver down Christie’s spine, but she ignored it. She was simply getting some before battle jitters as she was always concerned about Tai’s safety. But, with a move like Ember up Tai’s sleeve, she didn’t think this battle would pose a risk to them.

She turned her head to see if Tai was ready and he sent a confident look her way. “Go, Tai!” she announced, pointing her finger towards the Purrloin. Tai smirked and got into position across from the Purrloin. Christie arrogantly brought her finger up to rub at her nostrils like the youngster had done to her earlier. Her lips were even curled to one side.

“Tai, use Ember!” she cried out as if she had already won.

Tai puffed out his chest and then began to inhale deeply, however, before the flame on the tip of his tail could even begin to grow, the lass was already commanding her Purrloin.

“Purrloin, get down!”

A pinprick of anxiety tickled Christie at that exact moment. Tai’s flame grew just as he opened his mouth wide to unleash his torrent of fire. He let out a determined cry as the little specks of fire started to hurl towards Purrloin. It looked like it would be a direct hit, but Purrloin was much more agile than Christie at first thought. Purrloin’s ears twitched, and then it slammed itself flat against the ground, narrowly dodging Tai’s Ember. Purrloin rolled out from under the barrage of flame, a smirk of its own stretching across its face. Tai moved his head, bringing the flame closer and closer to the Purrloin, but since he had just learned Ember and didn’t have much control over it, his flames died down before they could reach Purrloin. Ashes spread out across the grass as Tai coughed pitifully, most likely from trying to overexert himself. Christie’s grin fell from her face, a sinking feeling beginning to assault her stomach. She felt like she was going over the very first hill of a giant roller coaster, her stomach dropping to her feet.

“Now, Purrloin, use Scratch!”

There was a malicious glimmer in Purrloin’s green eyes. She watched as its deadly claws extended out from its seemingly soft paws. Purrloin’s chest rumbled with a low growl, then it was pouncing, claws preparing to sink into Tai’s skin. Christie was frozen in place, watching the attack take place in slow motion. She could feel a bead of sweat slid down the side of her face and hear the frantic beating of her own heart. She saw the terrified look on Tai’s face, the same look he had sported when the man had been yelling at him. And, she saw the bloodthirsty feral grin Purrloin was sporting as it went to strike.

Finally, Christie got a grip on herself, at least enough to command Tai. She brought her fists up to her chest, leaning forward almost as if to take off running towards Tai and accept the blow herself. “Tai, _dodge it_!” she screamed so desperately that it echoed through the forest, her voice sounding unfamiliar to even herself as it had been so shrill.

Christie’s panic only managed to frighten Tai further, causing him to tremble in place instead of obeying her command. As such, Purrloin was able to swoop in and deliver two fierce swipes of its claws across Tai’s chest, leaving red marks in its wake. Purrloin let out an evil and satisfied meow when it was done, leaping backwards towards the lass to avoid any kind of retaliation from Tai. Christie was no longer focused on the Purrloin and the lass or even the battle at hand. She was far more concerned with Tai’s wellbeing. A sob escaped her as her vision grew hazy. She hadn’t realized it, but her eyes had begun to well with tears as soon as Purrloin’s claws had landed on her partner. This was the first time Tai had ever been struck in battle, at least while by her side, and she felt like it was all her fault. She had been overconfident stepping into this battle and Tai had paid the price. If she hadn’t been so self-absorbed, Tai wouldn’t be hurt right now. She didn’t know witnessing Tai endure an attack would have such an effect on her. When she played the game, she mindlessly allowed the battle to flow, not caring when her Pokémon were hit because their HP was still decent. But now, things were _different_. She could see how Tai was affected by the battle, those little red marks burned into the back of her mind. She now understood why Ash was always so emotional in the anime; it was hard to watch a cherished partner take the heat, especially when it was the Trainer’s judgement that caused it.

Tai had winced when Purrloin’s claws had scratched him, but he took the pain in stride, wanting to make Christie proud of him. As soon as Purrloin was away from him, he whipped his head around to look at Christie. He hadn’t liked how her voice had sounded when she called out to him. She had sounded _scared_ , though, he wasn’t sure why. Tai’s eyes widened when he saw the tears building up in Christie’s eyes. Why was she crying? Tai’s little heart pounded against his chest. He ignored Purrloin and the lass, completely turning around, in order to head towards Christie.

“Char char?!” he exclaimed, not understanding what was wrong.

Christie squatted heavily when he ran towards her, almost making herself collapse with her own weight. Her bottom lip quivered as those tears finally rolled down her cheeks. She sniffled, her eyes roaming across Tai’s chest, fixated on the claw marks he sported. Another sob escaped her lips when she saw the damage up close. _She had done that to him._ She had promised to always protect him and be far better than his previous Trainer, but look what she had done.

She reached both of her arms out to cup Tai’s face in between her hands. “A-Are you okay?” she uttered between sobs as her thumbs rubbed soothing circles into Tai’s skin.

Tai blinked. He took in the sight of a wrecked Christie: her bright eyes filled with tears, her frame shaking like a leaf, and her voice low with how hard she was struggling to breathe. The reason Christie was so upset was because of _him_ ? She was that worried about him? Tai’s chest swelled with an unknown feeling, his stomach practically bubbling. His other Trainer had never shown Tai that he cared about him one bit. He had never participated in a battle with the man because he had believed that Tai was far too _weak_ to be able to win. He had been stored inside his Pokéball for weeks at a time, but he thought that had been better than incurring the man’s wrath. His previous Trainer had only ever belittled and abused him, so it was _strange_ seeing Christie act so heartbroken over such a small attack. Those tears that she was shedding were for him. She cared for him so deeply that she never wanted to see him hurt, not even the tiniest little scrape marring his skin.

Tai hummed in the back of his throat, smiling softly. His tail wagged gently behind him as he basked in Christie’s love. He leaned forward to nuzzle their noses together, purring to reassure Christie that he was perfectly fine. Christie let out another sob, but she quieted down once Tai nuzzled her. She blinked some of her tears back, sucking up the rest of her snot. Tremors still racked her body, though, she was able to focus again. She took in Tai’s happy expression and listened to his melodious purring. A small smile of her own broke out across her damp face, lips still quivering. She laughed weakly, and it almost sounded like a hiccup.

“You’re okay?” she asked again just to be sure.

Tai brought his fist up into the air with a grin. “Char char!”

She laughed easier this time around, diving in to place a sweet kiss to Tai’s forehead. “I’m sorry...I couldn’t help myself. I don’t like seeing you get hurt...especially because of me.”

Tai huffed and then pounded on his chest with one of his hands, head held high as he remained confident.

Christie sniffled one last time, bringing one hand up to rub at the tear streaks adorning her round face with her knuckles. “You’re right, you’re right. You’re much tougher than that, huh?”

Tai nodded and Christie stood back to her feet, wobbling slightly. She took another moment to compose herself while Tai waddled back to his place across from Purrloin. Purrloin appeared unimpressed with their little charade, a dull look on its face while its tail swayed pompously. It poked its little tongue out before bringing its paw up to its face in order to lick it. Then, it swiped its paw along its forehead, fixing any loose hairs. On the other hand, the lass’s eyes were wide and her brows were furrowed. She was staring at Christie oddly. Christie coughed and smiled awkwardly, a little pink blush spreading across her cheeks. She sent a nod the lass’s way.

“Ready!” She turned her attention back towards the battle, determined to keep Tai safe this time around.

“Purrloin, Scratch again!”

Purrloin flicked its tail to straighten it and then hunched over, its front paws out as it prepared to strike. An evasive command was on the tip of her tongue as Purrloin hunched down, but she decided against it, remembering its agility. She thought for a moment, reflecting on the Scratch attack she had just witnessed. It had been hard for Tai to aim his Ember from such a far distance, yet when Purrloin went to scratch him, it was right up in his face...There was no way he could miss that! Christie’s eyes narrowed as Purrloin pounced with a high-pitched meow.

Tai braced himself for another attack, wondering why Christie hadn’t told him to do anything to counter it. For a moment, he thought that she had frozen again, but he dismissed that thought. He believed in Christie’s judgment; she _cared_ for him, so she wouldn’t purposely put him in harm’s way. Purrloin was then right above him, its green eyes sparkling down at him, claws protruding from its paws, ready to slash him once again. He stood tall and proud, awaiting Christie’s orders.

She had to time it just right. She waited a minute more, letting Purrloin grow even closer to Tai before she yelled, “Now, Tai, Ember!” She thrust her fist forward with her exclamation, certain that Tai would come out on top.

“Char!” he cried with a wide mouth, the flame on the tip of his tail growing bigger than ever before. Just as Purrloin went to swipe at him, Tai’s Ember began to spew directly into Purrloin. The little yellow and red specks completely covered its body, engulfing Purrloin in a mini inferno. She heard the Purrloin yelp from the attack, Tai’s Ember blazing away, the very air sizzling around him. He held out for as long as he could, fists held so tight that his knuckles turned white. But, ever so slowly, his sparks began to dwindle until there were none left.

Christie’s eyes grew wide when the dust settled. Purrloin was laying at Tai’s feet, utterly burnt. Its entire body was black, a little bit of smoke still billowing up from it. Purrloin groaned, its eyes falling shut as it fainted. Christie shook her fists excitedly, a few more tears forming in her eyes as it had been an intense battle. She was so proud of Tai for prevailing and taking the damage head-on. She let out a loud giggle before racing towards Tai in order to scoop him up into her arms.

“We did it!” she bellowed and Tai nuzzled her chest, eagerly celebrating their victory with her.

The lass smiled despite losing the battle. She grabbed the Pokéball strapped to her waist and returned Purrloin. “My Purrloin is cute even if it loses!” she said and then skipped over to Christie and Tai.

Christie kept Tai in her arms, still wanting to coddle him after a job well done. Although, she felt bad for him because she didn’t have any Potions to speak of and the nearest Pokémon Center was all the way back in Floccesy Town. She really hadn’t been prepared when she set out on this journey through the forest to find Hugh. She would know better next time, but she could only hope that no more Trainers would block her path. But, considering this was a Pokémon game, she knew they would stumble across more. Perhaps she could convince them not to battle seeing as her only Pokémon was already injured…

The lass stood in front of them with her hands behind her back, leaning her weight forward onto her tiptoes. She grinned with a little laugh. “I see that you really do care deeply about your Pokémon. He’s in very good hands.”

Christie returned her smile. “I love him with everything I have,” she replied tenderly while stroking Tai’s back. He hummed in response.

The girl fell back onto her heels before digging into her pocket. She pulled out a stack of bills just as the youngster had, readily offering them to her. She accepted the bills with a nod and a courteous thanks. However, the lass continued to dig in her pocket for something else. Christie raised a brow, her fingers going back to working their way down Tai’s back over and over after she put the money in her bag. The lass ended up pulling a Potion out of her pocket, and Christie’s jaw dropped when she saw the purple of the container.

The lass held it out to her with a warm curl of her lips. “Here, you can have this as well. You need it more than I do as I’m sure you’ll want to heal your beloved partner.”

Christie’s very irisies trembled as she eyed the Potion, and in that moment, she was forever grateful to the lass. She reached out for the Potion, not entirely sure how to show her gratitude. In the end, she settled for a quiet, “Thank you...Thank you so much.”

The lass waved a dismissive hand. “It’s no trouble at all. Take care!” Then, she was on her merry way.

Christie beamed down at Tai, bouncing him in her hold. “It’s a miracle, isn’t it, Tai?”

Tai hummed softly, still nuzzling Christie’s chest. She kneeled down in order to place Tai on the ground in front of her. He reluctantly let her go. She remained squatted as she inspected the damage done. She did feel somewhat silly for her reaction earlier. The marks on Tai’s chest were already beginning to fade. She hoped that in the future she wouldn’t be as prone to crying during battle. She certainly wouldn’t be able to react like that during a Gym battle. Those leaders would eat her alive. Gyms were no place to show weakness.

She let go of those thoughts, focusing back on Tai. She gripped the Potion in her hand and then aimed it right at Tai’s chest. She manueverd her fingers to press on the trigger, allowing a cool mist to wash over Tai’s frame. He winced at first, the medicine no doubt stinging him, but the pain was brief. The Potion made the scratch marks completely disappear, and soon enough, Tai was feeling as good as new. She pocketed the empty Potion bottle in case of an emergency; she could always try and squeeze just a little more out. Finally, she stood back up, her hands going to her hips. She surveyed the surrounding area. There was a small clearing through the thicket of trees. She could see that the tunnel leading towards Virbank City was much closer than before, which meant they were at least making progress.

She turned to her left, facing north. They had to traverse a large patch of tall grass in order to get to the next bridge up ahead. She gestured for Tai to follow her. “C’mon, no sign of Hugh yet.”

She wondered where her rival could be. They had gone through a good portion of Route 20, but they had yet to come across him. Perhaps he was hiding out across the other bridge, training his Pokémon in a secluded area. She hoped that he hadn’t caught another Pokémon yet seeing as she had still yet to capture a second one herself. She didn’t want to be outnumbered when she inevitably faced off with him again. Although, Tai was becoming stronger than ever and quickly too. But then again, Hugh’s Oshawott was probably learning Water-type moves left and right as well, which was bad news for Tai. She needed to come up with some strategies to avoid critical hits before their next battle, or else she might not win it.

Luckily, no wild Pokémon attacked them as they made their way out of the patch of tall grass. She looked around before advancing, but she couldn’t see anymore Trainers in sight. Breathing out a sigh of relief, Christie and Tai made their way across the bridge without any problems. The other side of the bridge, however, offered her no clues as to where Hugh was. The path continued on without any tall grass, but then snaked back south. There were two ledges she could jump down, which would lead her right back to the entrance of Route 20. She rubbed the back of her neck, wondering where to go from here. She really didn’t want to get lost again. They made their way back towards the bridge to see if there was another path, but out of the corner of her eye, Christie saw something of interest.

There was another trail leading to the north, and at the end of it, there was a rectangular arch made out of logs. Curious, Christie approached it and came across a sign that read, “Floccesy Ranch”. Had Hugh somehow ended up here while looking for a place to train? She entered the ranch, Tai following closely behind her. The ranch was serene and the only sounds she could hear were the babbling of the brook and the cries of Mareep off in a fence to her left. A little bit ahead of her she saw a rustic home with a chimney spewing light gray smoke nestled in between a big barn and a silo. The rest of the property seemed to be widespread and open except for the occasional fenced-in areas. The ranch definitely struck her as somewhere Hugh would train at. She decided to head towards the house to ask the owner if they had seen Hugh, but before she could reach it, someone was calling out to her.

“I thought it was lively over here! C’mere, sweetheart!”

Christie blinked and turned around to see who was addressing her, her long hair swaying with her movements. An old man wearing a bright red bandana was waving at her, prompting her to come to him. He had two Herdiers with him. The Herdiers had short legs and didn’t appear that intimidating physically, but their large three-pointed crests made them seem unapproachable since it looked like they were always glaring. Was that man the owner of the ranch? She made her way over to him, and Tai pressed himself to her leg when she stopped, timid as always.  

“Who are you?”

“Who am I?” the man guffawed, scaring Tai into cowering behind her. “I’m the owner of this ranch!” He grinned, but his smile quickly fell into a much more serious expression. “Say, you didn’t happen to see a woman in a visor anywhere, did you? That’s my wife. She said she was going to go out and fill up the Pokémon feeders, but she hasn’t been back since. It shouldn’t have taken her this long and I’m starting to get worried…”

Christie puckered her lips. “Nope, I haven’t seen anyone in a visor. But, I’m looking for someone myself and figured he came here to train his Pokémon. I’d be happy to look for your wife too!” She felt bad for the ranch owner who was obviously distraught about his missing wife. She had already planned on exploring the rest of the ranch in search of Hugh, so it wouldn’t be a problem to look for his wife either. It would probably be easier to find her than Hugh anyways.

The man smiled again. “You’d really do that for me? Thanks, sugar! If you do find her, she’ll be glad to heal up your Pokémon for you. There are Pokémon feeders scattered all over the ranch, so I’m not sure which one she would be at. I’m pretty sure she’s ‘round back though.”

“Got it! I’ll be sure to find her!” Christie gave the man a salute and then turned on her heel to head deeper into the ranch.

Instead of walking towards the house and barn, she went left through the gate where the Mareep were grazing. They didn’t seem bothered by her and Tai at all as they continued to mill about, completely content. There were a few hay bales laying around, but other than that, it was wide open for the Mareep to run around in. She saw another fenced-in area to her left that was separated from this one with another gate. It too was occupied by Mareep, but there were patches of tall grass in their pen. She was able to see the entirety of the pen and neither Hugh nor the owner’s wife were anywhere in sight. She turned around and headed north instead where there was a path leading towards a set of stairs. It obviously lead deeper into the ranch where the man had said his wife probably was.

They ascended the few steps in order to get on top of a ledge. There was even more tall grass and a straight row of trees. Christie curved around the trees and headed towards where the path cut off to the right. As she approached the end of the trees, though, she saw another old man leaning back against the bole of one. There were a pair of large gardening shears propped up against the tree beside him. He was dressed in a green uniform, and Christie assumed he was a groundskeeper for the ranch. She wondered if he was a Pokémon Trainer....There were all kinds of classes, but she couldn’t recall if this was one or if he was another NPC. There was only one way to find out.

She went to walk past him and their eyes locked. “Oh! I haven’t seen you before! Would you mind sparring with me?”

Christie let out a little sigh, deflating. She should have known better. Tai was all healed up from the last battle, but she wasn’t eager to put him in harm’s way again so soon. The man before her wasn’t some little kid like the youngster and lass had been. She assumed that he had more experience than the previous Trainers she had fought and she wasn’t looking forward to that. However, Tai appeared as ready as ever by her side, smirking and radiating a cool and collected energy. She smiled, happy to see him begin to come into his own. She shouldn’t doubt Tai’s abilities especially after she had witnessed his power. If things truly did go south for them, the owner had said that his wife would be able to heal her Pokémon. That thought eased her mind.

“Let’s go!”

The two of them got into position to battle, leaving enough room in between them for their duking Pokémon. Tai stood in front of Christie with his arms out and head lowered, prepared to take on whatever would be coming at him. The groundskeeper shook his Pokéball before throwing it out onto the field. There was a flash of red light and then the Pokémon materialized. It was a small Pokémon that was standing on all fours. It was covered in light-colored fur. It was a Lillipup, the baby form of the Herdiers they had just seen.

“Lillipup, Leer!”

Lillipup was an awfully cute Pokémon seeing as it was modeled after a puppy, but that precious look was gone as soon as the man gave it a command. Its eyes narrowed while it descended down onto its haunches, its front paws sliding out in front of it. The pup began to growl softly as its wide eyes turned sharp and began to glow red. She had no idea how to counter that type of attack, so she waited to see what kind of an effect it would have on Tai. Tai was staring directly into the Lillipup’s now cold gaze and suddenly he whimpered. Christie’s heartstrings were tugged at the soft sound. Tai began to shake like a leaf, clearly intimidated by the Lillipup’s attack.

“Now, Lillipup, Tackle!”

Lillipup’s growl built up and then diffused into a fierce bark. It leapt up into the air, preparing to slam itself into Tai’s shaken frame.

“Tai, snap out of it! You’re tougher than that!” she encouraged, hoping Tai would be able to break free from Lillipup’s mind game.

Tai’s tail flickered hesitantly as he balled his fists up. He grunted, trying to push down the sudden fear that was crippling him. With a small roar, he threw his head back and overcame the trance that Lillipup had inflicted upon him.

Christie cheered for him, pumping her fists into the air. “Dodge that Tackle!”

Tai broke free just in time. He was able to jump backwards and narrowly avoid the Lillipup’s attack. The Lillipup was able to fix its miscalculation before it slammed into the ground, managing to land back on its feet. It growled again, furious that Tai had dodged its Tackle.

She didn’t give the man any time to retaliate. “Tai, Tackle!”

Tai was charging towards Lillipup before the man could call to it. The Lillipup had put itself at risk by getting so close to Tai. He crashed into Lillipup’s torso from the side, causing Lillipup to let out a yelp. Lillipup was sent flying back, but before it could even land, Christie was pushing Tai to do even more damage.

“Keep going, Tai!”

“Lillipup, dodge!” the man cried out fruitlessly seeing as his Pokémon had yet to land.

Tai kept up his attack, launching himself back into Lillipup while it was in mid-air. He managed to aim his hard head into Lillipup’s chest, sending the pup soaring back towards its Trainer. It finally landed at the man’s feet, out for the count. It whined in the back of its throat before going still. It had fainted.

“Way to go, Tai!” Christie praised, believing that the battle was over.

The groundskeeper returned Lillipup to its Pokéball and then slid the Pokéball back into his pocket. However, he dug a little deeper and pulled out another one. Christie released a dumbfounded sound, blinking rapidly.

“Go, Mareep!” He threw out his second Pokéball, and sure enough, a Pokémon with conical ears and a fluffy woolen body emerged.

“Mar!” it cried out, the orange sphere on the end of its tail lighting up.

Christie gulped. She knew that Trainers typically carried more than one Pokémon with them, but the last few battles she had partaken had been one-on-one. She knew Tai could handle it, though, her anxiety bubbled nonetheless; she would always worry for him no matter what. She decided to command Tai right away so that the groundskeeper didn’t have enough time to counter her.

“Tackle again!”

“Char!” Tai bellowed fearlessly, leaping to assault Mareep.

“Thunder Wave!”

Mareep lowered its head as its body began to spark to life. Electricity crackled about its frame while the orange sphere on its tail lit up as brightly as Tai’s flame. Christie bit down on her bottom lip in anticipation, wondering if Tai would be able to strike before Mareep could charge up its attack. Unfortunately, Tai wasn’t fast enough. Mareep unleashed its electricity at him, a circular wave of energy shot right at him. It collided with him, sending him back towards her. Tai cried out as the sparks connected with him. The electricity struck him and then radiated out from him, small lightning bolts diffusing into the ground below.

Christie’s eyes were wide as she tried to see how hurt Tai was. He had fallen on his bottom from the attack, but with a groan, he lifted himself back up onto his feet. His jaw was clenched and one of his eyes was squeezed shut. She gasped when she saw that little sparks of electricity were still bouncing all over his body. Tai was paralyzed!

“Mareep, Tackle!”

“Dodge, Tai!”

He tried to obey Christie’s command, but his body wouldn’t listen to him. He was completely numb and unable to move. All he could do was watch as Mareep dashed towards him. He braced himself for the impact as Mareep tucked its chin into its chest, wanting to tackle Tai head-first. Christie hugged herself as tightly as she could to keep from leaping out in front of Tai. Mareep slammed into him, knocking him so far back that he almost collided into her legs. He landed flat on his back before her, his mouth wide open as he panted, electricity still coursing over his skin. Christie held back her tears, not wanting to distract Tai again. He could do this. She just had to believe in him.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Tai mustered up the energy to stand, the currents around his body still periodically shocking him. He glared at Mareep, swearing to get it back for this. He couldn’t let Christie down, not now!

“Mareep, again!”

“Mar!”

Mareep was headed straight for him. He didn’t think he could take another attack, so he had to do _something_. His limbs were still being uncooperative, but there had to be something he could do. He felt a churning in his stomach, and he huffed. Faint puffs of smoke escaped his nostrils.

Christie tried her best, but the tears welled up in her eyes nonetheless. Tai couldn’t handle being hit again. He would surely faint! But, he was paralyzed and there was nothing he could do. She was desperate, her chest tightening as she realized that she was going to lose and disappoint Tai. Even worse, she was going to hurt him again after she had promised herself that she wouldn’t put him back into harm’s way. Her face grew pale and she stared at the charging Mareep with wide eyes.

In a last-ditch effort, she screamed shrilly just as she had done before, “Move, Tai!”

But, Tai knew he couldn’t. Instead, he concentrated on the swirling heat in his gut, ignoring the electric impulses across his skin. The flame on the tip of his tail grew steadily as Mareep neared him. His mouth fell back open, his limbs moving gradually and stiffly into position. Slowly, he stopped wincing, staring Mareep down, filled with determination. It was now or never.

“Char char!” he roared, and a thick billow of black smoke burst forth from his mouth.

The smoke was so heavy that it covered the field entirely, blinding Mareep. They could hear it huff in confusion, but they were unable to see it. Tai puffed out the last bit of smoke and then wobbled for a moment. He grunted as he felt the remnant currents shock him, however, the sparks were beginning to dwindle, his paralysis fading. But suddenly, Mareep leapt through the cloud of smoke, going to tackle nothing but thin air. It had missed completely and was now standing in the open to Tai’s left. He balled up his fists and shook the rest of his paralysis away. He growled when the last of the sparks vanished from his frame, set on making Mareep pay for upsetting _his_ Trainer.

Christie gasped and then sucked up her snot. She wasn’t quite sure what had happened, but she saw her chance. She pointed a trembling finger towards Mareep. “Tai, Ember!”

“Charmander,” he said lowly, his flame growing and shining like a beacon. He slammed his feet into the ground as he moved to take aim. “Char!” he screamed as his fire tumbled out of his mouth, hurling straight for the unsuspecting Mareep.

The flames licked at Mareep’s wool before igniting its whole body. Christie heard its weak bleat as it was engulfed. Tai’s rage fueled his flames, allowing him to keep his Ember up for far longer than before. Christie was closer to his Ember this time around and she could feel the heat radiating towards her in waves; she couldn’t imagine what it must have felt like to be surrounded in that hellish fire. Eventually, Tai’s rage and flames died down, a few last embers spewing from his mouth. The Mareep lay fainted where it had stood, wool burnt to a crisp.

Christie hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes, not wanting Tai to see that she had almost lost it yet again. She scooped him up and hugged him as tightly as she could, burying him in her chest. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered while rocking him back and forth in her hold.

The groundskeeper returned Mareep to its Pokéball. He sent a grin Christie’s way. “Wow! Astounding! For one so young, you’re quite impressive, indeed!”

He walked up to her and handed her a stack of bills just as the kids had done, however, his was much thicker. She thanked him for the funds and watched as he gathered up his shears to get back to work. She released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. Then, she nuzzled noses with Tai, letting him know everything was okay.

“Was that Smokescreen that you used? That was awesome!” she complimented, referring to the thick smoke Tai had covered the battlefield with.

He wagged his tail and nodded eagerly. She cuddled him for a moment more.

Tai was a little injured from the battle, but no worse for wear than last time. She sat him back down on the ground and dug for the Potion in her bag. She unscrewed the top and poured what little remained on the spot where Mareep’s head had connected with him. It wasn’t much, but it was all she could do until they found the owner’s wife.

She put the now completely empty Potion back in her bag before straightening. “Let’s keep moving, Tai.”

The two of them continued down the path that zig-zagged around the back of the ranch. The back of the ranch was, in fact, a small grove with large trees and numerous patches of tall grass. For a while, she felt like they were going to get lost again. It seemed like they were walking in circles as they hopped one ledge after another, always ending up somewhere that looked vaguely familiar. She frowned as she glared at a dead end she swore they had hit at least three times now. Tai sighed, not knowing what to do either. The trees around them were so tall and thick that it was impossible to see around them. Once again, they backtracked and kept north until they couldn’t anymore. Then, they turned to the right and headed down a narrow path straight through the tall grass. Christie heard a cacophony of clicking, clacking, and buzzing as they traversed the terrain and it sent shivers up her spine. She wouldn’t go as far as to say that she had entomophobia, but she would happily live the rest of her life without encountering another bug.

Thankfully, they made it through the grass without any problems; she hadn’t been too worried considering Tai was a Fire-type and could easily wipe out any insects that crossed their path. Her ears perked up when she noticed that the coursing water of the brook seemed louder. They rounded a corner, and sure enough, they met the stream. It was a lovely sight especially with the way the water flowed over rocks of all sizes and shapes, but it also meant that they had taken the wrong way again. There was still no sign of either Hugh or the owner’s wife. They would have to keep looking.

Christie went to turn around yet again, but she heard a sharp sound right by her ear. She flinched, whipping her head around, although there was nothing there. Not a second later, she heard a sticky fluttering of wings. A bead of sweat slid down the side of her face. The corners of her lips twitched. Suddenly, the spot they were standing in was overwhelmed by a chorus of buzzing and droning. Christie squeaked and jumped up nearly three feet into the air. When she came back down, she stumbled, and lost her balance. She fell back onto her bottom up against the bole of a single tree right by the stream’s edge. She trembled in place, her wide eyes taking at the grotesque sight before her.

Bug-type Pokémon of all kinds were crawling out of the woodwork. They scurried out of the tall grass. They climbed their way up the trunks of the trees around her. Some even ventured a bit farther and drug themselves across the damp rocks by the brook. Her face turned as white as a ghost’s as she made out Sewaddles, Venipedes, Weedles, and even a few Spinaraks happily spinning their webs up above. How had she not noticed all of the bugs lurking around?! She was afraid to head back the way they had come considering how many insects had crawled out of the grass and how many were _still_ making themselves known. She looked around, but unfortunately, that seemed to be the only way out of this mess. Tai fidgeted by her side, his big eyes shimmering at her, undoubtedly wondering what had her so spooked.

Christie took in a deep breath and was about to get up, so that they could leave before the bugs crawled their way over to her, when she heard something squelching above her. She froze, her yelp caught in the back of her throat. The hairs on the back of her neck raised as the sound grew louder and louder. And then, she saw bright red antenna wiggling about before her face. She gasped inaudibly, her fear paralyzing her. Big yellow eyes were suddenly staring at her as the squelching sound came to a stop. The bug made a soft almost inquisitive noise as it leaned in, becoming too close for comfort for Christie. She let out a blood-curdling shriek, pushing herself back against the bole of the tree as much as she could. She lifted up both of her arms in order to shield her face. Her body was shaking viciously, betraying her desire to flee as fast as she could.

“Char..?” Tai questioned her strange behavior while tilting and scratching at his head.

The bug made a squeaking sound as it wriggled its body. It was hanging from the tree above her by a thin piece of silk. Hesitantly, Christie lowered one of her arms and cracked an eye open at the Pokémon. It was tiny and green with yellow markings on both sides of its body. It blinked its big eyes at her, and her nose wrinkled. It was clearly a Caterpie, a Bug-type Pokémon that wasn’t _as_ gross as the others. And while Christie showed nothing but disgust for the creature, it couldn’t have seemed happier as it danced on its string before her. Tai even giggled at it, rocking from foot to foot to mimic the swaying of the Caterpie’s body. Christie hummed as she brought down her defenses, eying the small insect. Caterpie released a high-pitched sound akin to a squeal and then swung itself closer to her face. She gulped, still flinching, but she wasn’t as scared of it anymore.

She brought her index finger up to her lips. “Do you...Do you want to come with me?”

Caterpie practically chirped, dancing more vigorously on its string, almost hard enough to cause it to snap. Slowly, Christie reached inside her bag for an empty Pokéball. She couldn’t believe it...A Bug-type Pokémon would be the second one to join her team. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel drawn towards the little guy with his seemingly positive attitude and high spirits. Not to mention the fact that Caterpie had come to her instead of her having to battle it into submission. She brought the Pokéball up and gently tapped it against Caterpie’s forehead. A pleasing ringing assaulted her ears as Caterpie was enveloped in the Pokéball’s bright red light. The Pokéball remained in her hands as it shook precisely one time and then she was met with a soft ding. Caterpie had been captured!

Christie eyed the Pokéball in her cupped hands with awe, wondering why the little thing would want to be caught so badly. Perhaps he had been scared out here on his own just as she had been...She smiled down at the Pokéball, and Tai cheered for her.

She laughed and held the Pokéball up to Tai’s face. “Say hi to your new teammate, Tai!”

“Charmander char!”

After catching Caterpie, she didn’t feel as afraid of all the bugs creeping around her and easily made it back to where they had started. Once they were somewhere calm, she released Caterpie from his Pokéball and allowed him to sit atop her shoulder. He made a noise similar to a purr and wriggled. She giggled at him and he decided to nuzzle his small body against her cheek. He was surprisingly warm albeit a bit fuzzy. With Caterpie on her shoulder and Tai following close behind as always, they set off towards the south this time around. They proceeded down another small path lined with trees and tall grass. Eventually, Christie was able to see the back of the barn and house high above the treetops and she knew that they had once again reached a dead end.

Just as she was about to turn on her heel, however, a loud and resounding bark met her ears. Instantly, she was on high alert as the bark had sounded close.

“No, you can’t take ‘im! This is my Herdier, ya hear?!”

Christie’s eyes widened at the feminine voice. Could it be the owner’s missing wife? Her eyes scanned the surrounding foliage and she saw that the path did continue off to the left, though it had been somewhat hidden thanks to some overgrown vines. Christie dashed through them, concerned about the woman’s wellbeing. She sounded like she was in trouble, and Christie had a hunch as to who it could be bothering her. She and Tai bursted out from the thicket of vines and heard a gasp. There was a small alcove hidden back there, and there were dark red Pokémon feeders hanging from all of the neighboring trees. A forlorn basket was laying on its side on the ground, a large amount of Pokémon feed all around it like it had been spilled. Tai growled and she looked up to see none other than owner’s wife, as she was wearing the visor her husband had told her about, and her Herdier cowering in the corner, shying away from a man with bright orange hair and wearing what appeared to be an all black military-like uniform. The woman was bravely shielding Herdier from the man despite Herdier’s best attempts to wiggle out from around her and attack the stranger.

“Hey!” she called out, her brows furrowing.

The man jumped out of his skin and quickly turned around to face her. The lower half of his face was covered by a black mask, but she could still see the vivid blues of his eyes. Her eyes roamed over his uniform up and down until she landed on a bright blue insignia. Her eyes narrowed. She would recognize that coat of arms anywhere.

“Team Plasma’s resorted to messing with the elderly, huh? What are you _that_ pathetic?”

The stranger’s expression fell, his eyes turning darker. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back to appear intimidating, but Christie wasn’t going to back down. The man clicked his tongue. “You little pest...I’m a member of a group that strikes fear into the hearts of those who stand before it: Team Plasma! Ever heard of it?”

Christie rolled her eyes and jutted out her bottom lip in defiance. “Yeah, I’ve heard about you scum.”

The man’s eyes seemed to brighten. She imagined he was smirking underneath his mask. “Hm, perhaps you’re mistaken then. We’re the righteous group that tried to conquer Unova two years back in order to liberate Pokémon. Whatever...Fools will never understand us…”

“You’re all just a pack of bullies. There’s not much to understand,” she quipped back, and even Tai snarled at her side.

“Pi…” Caterpie trembled atop her shoulder, afraid of the scary man before them. Christie was too caught up in the situation to notice.

The man let out an exasperated sigh. “First, I get lost chasing this bitch and her dog around and now some nosy kid wants to stop me…,” he mumbled to himself. Then, his gaze shifted back to her; it was cold and icy. “Look here, princess, you’re not stopping me! It seems like I’ll just have to liberate your Pokémon too!”

And with that, the Team Plasma grunt went to dash toward them, his arms stretched out to grab Christie. He planned to tackle her to the ground and humiliate her a little bit before making off with her puny Pokémon. It wouldn’t be much, but at least he was bringing _something_ back for the boss. Although, Christie wasn’t going to let that happen. She held her ground, digging her feet into the dirt. She clenched one of her fists, sending a malicious glare the grunt’s way. Tai was mimicking her stance at her side, his teeth bared at the grunt who dared to threaten his Trainer. He was still feeling weak and dizzy from the last battle, though, he shook it off in order to protect his Trainer who cared for him so deeply. Christie waited a moment, allowing the grunt to get as close to her as he could, before she commanded Tai to attack.

“Tai, Em-!”

However, Christie was interrupted by a harsh squeak right into her ear. She flinched, finally remembering that Caterpie was still on her shoulder. The poor thing looked terrified with its eyes as wide as saucers and its frame shaking wildly. She was momentarily distracted by Caterpie, and Tai hesitated, unsure of what exactly Christie wanted him to do. The grunt chuckled to himself, believing he had won, but he didn’t anticipate that the miniscule bug on the girl’s shoulder would fight back. Caterpie, in reaction against the looming giant, whipped his head forward and cried out. Christie gasped when a flurry of white silk shot out from Caterpie’s mouth, more silk than she thought his little body could produce. The grunt made a surprised sound in the back of his throat, but that was all he could do against the sudden assault. Caterpie’s silk bound to his body, wrapping him up from head to toe. Caterpie spewed and spewed, making sure the grunt was tied down at least twice over, not wanting him to harm his newfound Trainer.

Eventually, Caterpie exhausted himself, the silk erupting from his mouth dying down. He relaxed on her shoulder, let out a soft warble, and then nuzzled against her cheek. Christie’s jaw was slack as she stared down at the bundle of silk that was once a man. The grunt looked like a mummy on the ground as he wiggled violently and his screams were muffled by the thick string enveloping him. She blinked and then cleared her throat. She straightened, pretending it had been her plan all along. She brought her hand up to pat and rub at Caterpie’s head.

“Great Stringshot, little guy.”

Caterpie practically purred, if a bug even could, and Tai was still clearly at a loss for words.

“Char char?”

Christie released a breathless laugh and lightly shrugged. At least none of them had gotten hurt even if this hadn’t been her plan at the start. The owner’s wife beamed at her for a moment before she seemed to come out of her trance. She ran up to her, her Herdier obediently following behind her, and threw her hands around her neck, almost knocking Caterpie off her shoulder.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!” she cried, and Herdier barked its approval.

The woman was accidentally shaking Christie as she hugged her, making Christie dizzy and unable to respond for a moment. Finally, the woman released her and her mouth formed a tiny and surprised “o” when she realized that she had almost hit her true savior, Caterpie. She slowly reached her hand out and gently pet his fuzzy head.

“And, thank ya too!” She pulled back and continued to grin at Christie. “We’re both so grateful to ya an’ your wonderful Pokémon! Me ‘n’ Herdier were out fillin’ up the Pokémon feeders when this here goon jumped out at us! He was going ta take Herdier away from me if ya hadn’t have come along. I don’t know what he was doing back ‘ere....He must have been sneakin’ ‘round, looking for _something_ …”

Christie shrugged, unsure of the grunt’s motives herself. “Well, you’re very welcome, but we should head back to the house. Your husband was worried about you.”

“Oh, was he now? I must have scared ‘im good. Yes, let’s go.”

They were about to head out of the little alcove when the grunt let out a loud, yet still muffled screech. The two of them watched him struggle on the ground for a moment. Christie rose a brow down at him. “Are you sure it’ll be okay just leaving him there?”

The woman waved a dismissive hand at him. “I don’t think he’ll be gettin’ outta there anytime soon. Let’s head on back an’ then my husband can call Alder ta help take care of ‘im.” She jolted as if she remembered something. “Say, did Alder train ya? Is that why you’re so strong?”

Christie giggled. “Nope, he hasn’t trained me...Well, at least not yet anyways. He promised he would after I delivered something to my friend. I was trying to find him when your husband asked me to look for you. Have you seen a boy with dark blue hair and a Pokédex anywhere?”

The woman scratched her head, trying to recall if she had seen anyone matching that description. “Nah, I don’t think so.”

Christie shrugged. Perhaps she had missed Hugh after all. At least she had gotten to be someone’s hero today though.

The two of them made their way out of the alcove, leaving the captured and bound grunt on the ground to be dealt with later. The owner’s wife knew the ranch like the back of her hand and offered to show Christie a shortcut back to the house. She allowed the woman to lead the way with her Herdier. They were trekking their way through some tall grass when Caterpie let out a sharp noise to garner her attention. Christie blinked and looked at the little bug on her shoulder. Caterpie squeaked and wiggled its body, obviously trying to convey something, but not being able to. Christie hummed, trying to decipher Caterpie’s movements. Caterpie kept lowering himself down onto her shoulder as if he was laying down and would then close his eyes. Was he tired?

She snapped her fingers before reaching down to grab his Pokéball out of her bag. She held it up in front of him. “Did you want to rest in here?”

Caterpie let out a series of excited squeaks, dancing slightly. Christie giggled and then returned him to his Pokéball. She offered the same to Tai since he was injured from battle, but he refused, wanting to stay out and about with his Trainer.

They made their way out of the tall grass and headed towards the left. They then snaked south and jumped down from a small ledge. They were back in the same spot from earlier as she could see the barn and house over the treetops.

“It’s not too far from ‘ere!” the woman said over her shoulder as she continued down the path.

Tai seemed to light up at that, clearly wanting to get out of the woods so that he could be healed. He quickly followed after the woman and her Herdier, practically skipping. Christie chuckled and went to catch up with them until she heard a low buzzing sound. She stopped dead in her tracks, arching a brow as she looked around. It reminded her of all the bugs that had been _singing_ to her earlier and a shiver racked her spine. Yet somehow, this noise was different. It was an alluring sound and she was drawn to it. Her legs apparently had a mind of their own as she found herself turning back towards the woods, towards the sound. She made her way back to the ledge and the noise grew louder. It now sounded like static from an old television, but there was a dizzying quality to it that made her head spin. She brought her hand up to press it to her temple, her vision becoming blurry. Her limbs became numb and she swayed, close to losing her balance.

“Drowzee...Drowzee...Drowzee…”

She managed to turn on her heel, though, she had to hold out both of her arms to keep from falling on her bottom. The grass appeared farther away than it actually was as if she was growing by the second, and the trees began to blend together. There was a pulsing in her head and her eyes became droopy. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was sleep...She was exhausted...But, just as she started to drift off, she spotted a round silhouette hiding among the trees. The figure was shrouded in darkness except for its glowing golden eyes. And right before she collapsed, she swore she saw faint yellow rings expanding from its fingertips and making their way towards her.

* * *

As she roused from her deep and satisfying slumber, she pressed her lips together tightly. She squeezed her eyes shut and stretched out her legs underneath the covers, going so far as to wiggle her toes too. Her mouth fell open with a yawn as she pushed her head up on the fluffy pillow she was laying on. One of her arms wiggled its way free and she stretched it up and over her head. Finally, she released all of the tension in her body, and without opening her eyes, she snuggled back into the plush blankets that were enticingly warm. She relished in the feeling for a moment before it dawned on her.

Her eyes flew open and she instantly sat up, flinging the cover off of her. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and it was hard for her to breathe. This all felt way too familiar and she hurriedly glanced down at her, for some reason, _nude_ body to make sure she was still in the right one. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw her voluptuous curves and perky breasts. She felt her nipples hardening from the cool air of the room, further attesting to the fact that she was still Christie, her true self. She had thought that maybe the illusion had finally fallen and she had woken back up in her old bedroom in a world where she was forced to be called _Sam_ ; that name made her stomach churn like it was a bad omen.

However, as she glanced around the dark room, she realized that she had no idea where she was. There was no other furniture around except for the giant and cozy bed she was currently sprawled out on. She clutched the sheets in her hand. She remembered that she had been looking for Hugh on Route 20. She hadn’t been able to find him, though, she had stumbled upon a ranch. She had helped the owner find his wife as she had saved her from a Team Plasma grunt. They had been on their way back when...when...She couldn’t remember. Her head hurt when she tried to recall what happened after they had left the alcove like something was blocking her from remembering. Had she passed out on the trail and the couple had taken her in? That didn’t explain why she was naked though…

She flushed lightly as she rubbed her thighs together, admiring her puffy mound that she hadn’t really even gotten a chance to explore yet. She had been so caught up in her Pokémon journey that she hadn’t had time to pleasure herself...She wondered briefly if someone had raped her or was going to, but that uneasy feeling of dread never surfaced within her. Instead, all she felt was an increasingly strong desire to masturbate as her core heated up and her clit pulsed in time with her heartbeat. She bit down on her bottom lip as she pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her worry ebbed away as something was telling her that she was safe here...She experimentally rolled her own hips, her vaginal lips rubbing together deliciously. She pushed down against the bed with her pelvis, feeling a pressure on her clit. She spread her legs, a stickiness beginning to form in her privates.

She let out a tiny moan as she went to move her hand down. She grabbed at her pussy awkwardly, cupping it in her own palm, squishing the sensitive skin. Her skin crawled. No one, not even herself, had touched down there yet and she was excited to see what would happen. Tentatively, she curled all four of her fingers, stimulating her lips and enveloping her slowly swelling clit. She used her index and pinky fingers to shyly spread her lips and then tapped at her dampening hole with her middle finger. She trembled from her own touch, letting a hot breath slip past her lips. She was about to go a little farther, start swirling the pad of her finger around her entrance, when suddenly, the door across from the bed opened. She stopped her movements, but she kept her finger pressed against her hole. She didn’t feel embarrassed or panicked. There was something in the air, almost like she was in a dream, that was keeping her from having normal reactions. She was still unbearably hot.

A mysterious man appeared in the doorway, though, she couldn’t make out his appearance. All she could see was the bright white of his smile and down from there. The upper part of his face was covered by the dark of the room. Her eyes scanned his own entirely nude body from his rippling and tantalizing muscles all the way down to his long, thick cock. She whined in the back of her throat when she realized that he was uncircumcised as well.

“What do we have here? Is someone putting on a show for me?” he teased her in a faraway lilting voice that kept his identity as mystery.

He chuckled as she nodded wantonly, attempting to spread her legs even further for him. She held her lips open, wanting him to fuck her with his hefty and captivating package. She didn’t want to clumsily stumble her way through to her first orgasm. She wanted a _man_ like the one before her to take care of her and have her on cloud nine. She recalled the blowjob she had given Tai’s previous Trainer and her stomach bubbled. If something as simple as that had caused her so much pleasure, then she couldn’t even _imagine_ how good she would feel once this man sunk his strapping cock into her velvety wet heat. She didn’t want to tease herself with fingers. She wanted this stranger’s dick in her more than anything and the thought was taking over her mind, not allowing her to focus on anything else like the oddity of her current predicament. She was too aroused to care, her own lubricant beginning to ooze out onto the pad of her finger. She couldn’t wait for his large mushroom head to plow into her, jabbing at her most intimate areas.

She stared up at him through her eyelashes, pouting to allure him. She whined for him, bucking her hips off the bed. He shook his head, but began to walk towards the bed nonetheless.

“You’re so needy, aren’t you? You want me that bad, huh?”

She hummed in agreement, fidgeting slightly as he climbed up onto the bed. He crawled towards her like a predator stalking its prey. She felt small and vulnerable under his invisible gaze, that feeling only further stimulating her addled mind. As he grew closer, she leaned back, giving him ample room. She laid herself down on her back for him, removing her hand from her pussy since he was sure to take care of pent-up desire. Soon enough, his hands were on either side of her head as she loomed overtop of her, grinning widely. She panted, wiggling under him. She wanted to arch her hips up against him to feel the swell of his hardening cock, but she restrained herself, not wanting to upset him. Slowly, he leaned down and then captured her lips with his own. She moaned softly into the firm kiss, never before having felt someone else’s mouth against her own. She was a complete and utter virgin, but she was desperate to change that, right here, _right now_.

The man must have sensed her desperation because he didn’t dilly-dally. He pulled on her bottom lip with his own mouth before dragging his lips down her fervid skin. He trailed kisses down her cheek and nipped along her jawline. He sucked on the side of her throat, moving away with a sloppy pop. He placed butterfly light kisses along her collar while he moved his hand up to cup her breast. She hissed as he fondled her breast, squishing and rolling the erogenous zone. His lips moved further down until he took her nipple into his hot mouth. She cried out at the white hot flash of pleasure that action sent down her spine. She fisted the sheets as he worked her up, making damn sure that her pussy was dripping by the time he got to it. He swirled his tongue around her hardening flesh and suckled gently. He got a good taste of her before pulling back with another pop, a string of saliva connecting him to her nipple for a split second. He twisted and squeezed her other nipple with his hand causing her to let out a gasp and arch up against him. She felt his hard member rub against her pillowy thigh.

He lifted himself up onto his knees before sliding his hands down her sides. He grabbed her hips and she eagerly spread her legs as much as she could, wanting him so badly that her chest ached. Her clit was throbbing away, and she felt like she would bust if she clenched her thighs too hard. She was so wet and willing for him that her essence was starting to soak the sheets underneath her. She tried to even out her breathing, but she found it impossible to do. He didn’t even bother putting on a condom and she wasn’t worried about getting pregnant; all she wanted was for him to be inside her, giving her exactly what she craved. He admired how much of a wreck she looked and the rosy hue extending all the way down her chest. Then, he lined his fat head up to her quivering entrance, making her choke on her own moan. He let out a deep breath, then smiled down at her sweetly, the action warming her belly even more so. And with that, he began to push himself inside, inch by inch.

Christie’s mouth fell open in a silent gasp as her walls stretched to accommodate his girth. He slipped in easily thanks to how wet she was, and even though it was tight, it was a pleasurable snug feeling as her passage clinged to his dick. She tried not to hold her breath as he continued forward, but it was hard not to. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head because she was so amazed by the feeling of a cock inside her. She never thought she would get to experience ecstasy like this, and yet, her wildest fantasy had just come to life. Her clit drummed away as he pushed and pushed until she was sure that she had no more room for him. He proved her wrong, though, as he sunk deeper and deeper, filling her to the brim. She was convulsing around his dick, the pleasure too much for her to handle. She clenched around him before he was even fully situated and that little taste sent her into overdrive. She kept flexing her inner walls to feel that dull pang of bliss, and so, when the mysterious man’s sack finally slapped against her stuffed pussy, a piercing scream ripped its way from her throat as she came.

* * *

“Ah~!”

She lurched up off the ground with a high-pitched loud moan. Her cheeks were flushed and she felt spent. Her pussy throbbed slowly like it was trying to recover from a marathon. Her vision swam for a moment, but after a few blinks, she could make out her surroundings. She was about to ask the mysterious man for forgiveness and promise him that he could use her to his heart’s content to make up for her sudden orgasm when she realized that she wasn’t in his bedroom anymore. She was staring up at the stark blue sky and she could see the tops of trees around her. She pursed her lips.

“Char!”

Tai appeared in her vision, worry marring his usually cute expression. The owner’s wife then came into view, sporting a confused look of her own as she grabbed the front of her visor. Even her Herdier was looking down at her strangely. She turned as red as a tomato and then awkwardly cleared her throat. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but it was obvious that the mysterious man and his perfectly sculpted cock had all been a far too sweet dream.

“Ya alright? Hit your head or somethin’?”

She nodded her head as she went to sit up. “Um yeah, I think I ran into a branch or something,” she lied through her teeth, rubbing at her forehead. She pretended to shake it off. “I’m okay now. I’ll be more careful this time.”

The owner’s wife smiled. “Good, good. Let’s go then. We’re nearly there.”

The woman started walking off and Tai sent another concerned look her way. She gave him a reassuring smile and then pet his head. He pushed up against her palm and grinned himself. When she let go of him, he jumped into action, once more eagerly following the woman. Christie sighed and flushed again when she noticed how damp her underwear now was. That had been one hell of a dream...Clearly, she had experienced a mental orgasm, and she was proud of that fact because it only validated her as a woman that much more. _Sam_ would have never been able to feel such a thing, and she began to wonder how she could experiment with that sensation in the future.

Although, that still didn’t explain what had _actually_ happened to her. Her memory was a little hazy and there was a dull pain right at the front of her head. She sat on the ground for a moment, trying to remember. She recalled saving the owner’s wife and returning Caterpie to his Pokéball upon his request. They had been walking back towards the house when...when she remembered the buzzing sound. That noise had drawn her back here, but why? Could it have been a Pokémon? She didn’t think she had been attacked though. Had a Pokémon put her to sleep and then her dirty mind had lunged at the opportunity presented before it? She didn’t know and thinking about it just made her head hurt that much worse. She was okay, a little horny but okay, and that’s all that really mattered.

She went to stand up when a resonating _ding_ echoed among the trees around her. She let out an inquisitive noise and twisted around to see her Pokédex laying open on the ground just out of arm’s reach. She blinked before getting onto all fours. She crawled over to it and noticed that it was on.

_“Drowzee, the Hypnosis Pokémon. It can tell what people are dreaming by sniffing with its big nose. It loves fun dreams.”_

She blinked.

“Fun” definitely described the dream she had had.

* * *

They finally made it back to the house and reunited the wife with her husband. The Herdiers had been excited too as they had chased each other in circles for quite some time. The owner had thanked her ten times over and said that if she ever needed a favor, she could come to them. And, as he had promised earlier, his wife was able to heal up Tai completely. Caterpie hadn’t been injured, simply tired. She had bid them farewell and then made her way back to Floccesy Town. She hadn’t been able to find Hugh anywhere, and she reported this back to Alder. She must have missed Hugh, but she was certain their paths would cross again. Alder was disappointed that she hadn’t been able to find Hugh, but nevertheless, he allowed her to train in his house against two of his students who had corresponding type-matchups to Tai. After all the battling they had done on Route 20 and at the ranch, wiping out the two students had been a piece of cake even with Tai’s type disadvantage.

Alder had been so impressed with their teamwork that he urged her to go ahead and challenge the Aspertia Gym. She had forgotten all about the gym in her haste. Bianca had guided her around Aspertia City when she had been there, and she hadn’t stopped to remember that the first gym had been there all along. If she recalled correctly though, the game wouldn’t have allowed her to challenge the first gym so soon anyways. Something about the Trainer’s School being closed for the time being...Whatever the case may have been, she didn’t think she had been ready for her first gym battle right after her first _actual_ battle. She seemed to be making good progress and she was sure that Tai could handle Cheren’s Pokémon by himself. And if not, she had Caterpie as backup. She had thanked Alder for his time, though she knew they would be seeing more of each other, and then headed back home.

Route 19 hadn’t been nearly as tough to traverse as Route 20 had been and she made it back to Aspertia City in no time at all. She chose not to hesitate, knowing her nerves would eat her up if she didn’t head straight for the gym. Tai and Caterpie were perfectly healthy and resting in their Pokéballs, so there was nothing stopping her from challenging Cheren. She remembered that he specialized in Normal-type Pokémon, which was a strange transition from his team back in Pokémon Black and White, but she couldn’t remember which Pokémon he had exactly. She was pretty sure there were only two of them though, so she wasn’t outnumbered yet. Her next priority would definitely have to be filling out her team. The battles were only going to get harder from here on out, and she couldn’t risk falling behind and having Tai get hurt; she dreaded the day he would faint for the first time in her care.

She approached the extravagant looking Trainer’s School, eying the large and ornate structure especially the grand Pokéball statues outside of the entrance. She gulped. Was she ready for this? Tai had been training like crazy and she was sure that he could take on whatever Cheren was going to throw at her. He certainly wouldn’t have any surprising Pokémon, and she figured he would possess ones they had already encountered, which meant that Tai was more than prepared to handle them. Still, she worried for his safety. She gazed up at the looming building with determined eyes. If she was going on a true Pokémon journey, then this was the next step. This would be where she proved herself. However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t be a little cautious. She was about to head back towards the Pokémon Center to buy a Potion or two considering how much money she had won from all the Trainers they had faced, but something caught her eye. More like _someone_.

Dark blue hair stuck out from behind one of the Pokéball statues and she couldn’t believe her luck. Hugh stepped out of the Trainer’s School, clutching something protectively in his fist. Had he…?

“Hugh!”

She beamed at him, waving her hand to get his attention before sprinting towards him. He turned to face her, a dumbfounded look etched onto his features before he realized who was calling his name. He smiled softly and waved back.

She came to a grinding halt right in front of him. He saw the sparkle of her shiny white teeth as she giggled. She pointed down to his closed fist. “Is that what I think it is~?”

Hugh seemed to puff out his chest. Slowly, he unclenched his fingers to reveal the sparkling Basic Badge in his palm. She awed over it for a moment and then straightened.

“Wow, that’s awesome, Hugh! You must have been training your Pokémon well on Route 20!”

“You bet I did! All my hard work’s finally gonna pay off…” He paused. “Wait...How did you know I was training on Route 20?”

“I met up with Alder before I got to Floccesy Town. He was going to train me when he saw what I was carrying around.” She grabbed her messenger bag and pulled out the spare Town Map. She offered it to him. “He said he had seen you training on Route 20 and he wanted me to give this to you before he taught me anything.” Hugh took the map out of her hands. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t find you anywhere. I assume I just missed you.”

Hugh gingerly placed the Basic Badge in his pocket as if it was his most prized possession. Then, he unrolled the Town Map to have a look at it for himself. He rose a brow at her. “Why were you trying to give me a Town Map?”

“Your sister gave it to me before I left for Route 19. She said you had ran off before she could give it to you. I promised her I would deliver it.”

Hugh clicked his tongue, a light pink flush appearing on his cheeks. “She didn’t have to do that...Thanks though. Our journey is just beginning and you’ve already helped me out.”

She felt a surge of pride swell up in her chest, a funny feeling beating around in her stomach. She remained silent, unsure of what to say. Hugh rolled the map back up and placed it into his own bag. Then, he scratched at his chin.

“Well, I suppose since you helped me, it’s only fair that I help you. You’re about to challenge the gym, right?” he asked while jabbing his thumb behind him at the Trainer’s School.

She nodded.

“Alright, here’s my advice to you: before you can get to Cheren, there are a few Trainers you have to get through first. Once they’re taken care of, go back to the Pokémon Center to heal up before your big battle. Cheren will knock you out in no time at all if you’re not fighting at your best.”

She heeded Hugh’s warning and smiled. “Got it. Thanks, Hugh.”

He grinned back and then lifted his hand to give her a casual salute with two fingers. “I’ll be seeing you then.” He walked past her, most likely to head onto the next gym.

She looked up at the building once more. It didn’t seem as intimidating now that Hugh had told her what awaited her. She took a big breath, then headed into the Trainer’s School.

* * *

She had been right: defeating those Trainers before Cheren had been a cakewalk for Tai. He was well-prepared for the fight ahead, and she couldn’t have been more proud of him. He was fighting on par or just a little bit better than his opponents, so all the Trainers they had fought on Route 20 and at the ranch had really paid off. Tai gained even more experience, and she wondered how close he was to evolving; it wouldn’t be too much longer now. She could hardly believe it. Soon enough, her little baby would be turning into a Chameleon! Then, Tai would be a mighty Charizard, and she wouldn’t have to worry about him as much anymore. She hoped that would be the case. She couldn’t keep breaking down every time Tai was injured. Not only did it make her look weak, but it must have embarrassed the hell out of Tai especially when she cried over such a tiny scratch.    

She took Hugh’s advice and healed her Pokémon up at the Pokémon Center after battling the two Trainers before Cheren. Tai only sustained a few scrapes from those battles, but it was better to be safe than sorry. She also managed to pick up two Potions with her winnings from earlier, so she wouldn’t be panicking when Tai or Caterpie were injured. She didn’t know of anything else she could do in order to prepare herself to go against Cheren, so she made her way back to the Trainer’s School, ready to obtain her very first gym badge.

Cheren was standing atop a platform at the back of the gym when she approached him. As always, he was carrying a book in his arm, most likely reading in between matches. He seemed to light up when she came over to him.

“You must be a challenger! Welcome to Aspertia City’s Pokémon Gym. I’m Cheren, the Gym Leader! Hm? Well, maybe I better say that I just became the Gym Leader! This is only my second Pokémon battle as Gym Leader! Let’s both do our best and have a battle we can be proud of!”

She adjusted her visor, staring down at Cheren with something fierce twinkling in her eyes. She gave him a single curt nod and then took her place on her side of the battlefield. Cheren made his way down the steps of his platform, not bothering to put away his book. He smirked at her when he stood on the other side, his free hand on his hip. He fixed his tie before grabbing the Pokéball at his waist. He clicked the center button, allowing the ball to expand to its regular size. Christie didn’t let her anxiety get the best of her this time around. She believed full heartedly in Tai. He had been training for this very moment and there was no way he was going to let her down. And, even if he did get a little beat up, she promised herself that she wouldn’t jeopardize the battle by acting like an overprotective mom.

Cheren elegantly tossed the ball out onto the field with a clack. The red light emerged and soon enough his Patrat was revealed to them. Its cheeks twitched, and it kept its arms out at the ready.

“Pat pat!” it cried as it gazed at her intimidatingly.

She wasn’t going to let that scare her. They had faced off against a Patrat before without any trouble. This would be no different! She took ahold of Tai’s Pokéball, cupping it in her palms first to send him good vibes. She inhaled deeply and then threw his ball. Tai materialized with a malicious grin on his face, ready to take on whatever was in his way. He had grown much more confident over the past few battles, but she didn’t want him to become _arrogant_. She had given him a little pep talk in the Pokémon Center before they challenged Cheren, letting him know that she believed in his abilities and that she was positive he could win her the Basic Badge. Her words of encouragement seemed to do the trick as he struck a defensive stance, practically buzzing with pent-up energy.

“Char char!”

“Alright, Tai, let’s do this! Start it off with Leer!”

Her strategy this time around was to be as defensive as possible. Every Gym Leader had a trick up their sleeve and she knew Cheren would be no exception. She couldn’t remember what he had in store for her, but she was hoping Tai could take out Patrat before he had a chance to use it. If she lowered his defense enough, then Tai’s Ember would be able to take care of the rest. Of course, if things got a little messy, Smokescreen could save the day by lowering Patrat’s accuracy as well. They could do this... _They could do this_.

Tai nodded his head and clenched his fists. His grin fell from his face as his eyes narrowed. Patrat didn’t back down. Tai’s eyes began to shine and then they glowed an intense red. She could hear him growling in the back of his throat, amping himself up for his next attack. Patrat didn’t seem to be affected at first, but upon closer inspection, she could see it quaking in its boots. It put up a tough act, though, its clacking knees gave it away.

Cheren didn’t seem too worried yet. “Patrat, use Work Up!”

Christie tilted her head. She hadn’t heard of that move before. The youngster they had battled earlier certainly hadn’t used it. Maybe his Patrat hadn’t been strong enough to learn it yet? Cheren’s Patrat hunkered down, digging its feet into the dirt of the battlefield. A strange aura surrounded it, and to Christie, it almost looked like heat waves in front of Patrat. However, the waves began to glow a bright red akin to Tai’s Leer. The red light engulfed Patrat from head to toe. She thought that was going to be the end of it, but she was sadly mistaken.

“Patrat!” it bellowed and the light surrounding it expanded before seeming to erupt throughout the air.

She and Tai both felt its explosion of energy burst towards them as a strong gust of wind assaulted them both. Tai clenched his jaw and Christie held up both of her arms to block the wind from her eyes. She panted once the wind had died down and looked off towards the Patrat. The glowing red light had vanished, but she could tell that strange aura was still pulsing around Patrat; it was _palpable_. So, this was Cheren’s trick?

She scowled and whipped out her Pokédex, determined to win this battle no matter what. She flipped it open, then pointed it towards Patrat. The little blue light pinged at her.

_“The user is roused, and its Attack and Sp. Atk stats increase.”_

Christie cursed under her breath. Cheren was planning to increase his attack to the point where all he would need was a single hit to knock Tai out for good. They had both been plotting to do the same thing just in different ways. She pocketed her Pokédex again and thought for a moment. Even if Patrat continued to raise its attack, Tai’s Leer would still affect its defense, meaning Tai’s attacks would still be much stronger against Patrat. She would just have to take Patrat out before he took her out.

She snapped her fingers. “Tai, Tackle attack!”

“Char!” At her command, Tai was off. His feet didn’t even seem to be touching the ground what with how fast he was moving. Cheren didn't have time to tell Patrat to dodge because Tai was already there, slamming his head into Patrat’s chest. Patrat let out an exasperated sound since all of the air had been knocked out of it at once. She could tell that hit was devastating, but sadly, it wasn’t enough to cause him to faint.

Tai jumped back towards her, a victorious smirk on his face as he surveyed the damage he had done to Patrat. Christie remained ever vigilant, expecting Cheren to retaliate in some way. And yet, to her surprise, he did the exact opposite.

“Patrat, Work Up again!”

The red light returned, enveloping Patrat’s body for a second, and then it dispersed it once more. The leftover aura crackled, charged with energy. She thought Tai would cower at the overwhelming power beginning to accumulate in Patrat’s small body, but he held his ground, Christie’s praises repeating over and over again in his head like a mantra; he wouldn’t let her down.

Christie ground her teeth. She had two options: she could attack again or continue trying to lower Patrat’s defense. Another attack wouldn’t K.O. Patrat, but it would get him down to about half health. However, if she used Leer again, she had a better chance of damaging him on the next turn, that is _if_ Tai made it to the next turn. This was a dangerous game they were playing. She was going to have to take a gamble and hope that Cheren wouldn’t attack again or that Tai would be able to dodge said attack. She swallowed harshly. She believed in Tai. She knew he could do this.

“Tai, Leer again!”

Tai was a bit shocked that Christie didn’t tell him to attack, but he obeyed her nonetheless; she knew what she was doing. He stood firmly, eying Patrat once more with contempt. His eyes turned that dark red making him seem much more deadly than the cute partner Pokémon she normally saw him as. This time Patrat took a tentative step back, Tai’s gaze spooking it beyond belief. She heard it gulp and could practically see its heart pounding against its chest. But, now came the moment of truth. Would Cheren attack? She had to resist the urge to bite her own nails as she awaited his command.

“Work Up, Patrat!”

“ _Yes_!” she whispered excitedly to herself, happy that she had made the right choice after all. She had been right: Cheren was looking to destroy Tai with one attack.

Patrat’s attack stats had been increased three times now and the aura radiating from him was immense. It was now or never. If she held back, Tai wouldn’t get an attack off before he was down and she didn’t think Caterpie was strong enough to overcome Patrat and whatever other Pokémon Cheren possessed.

“Tai, Tackle it!”

“Patrat, dodge it!”

Christie crossed her fingers, hoping that Patrat wouldn’t be able to move away in time. Tai charged towards it, tucking his head into his chest to deliver a harsh blow. Despite Cheren’s command, Patrat remained frozen on the battlefield. She heard its clacking knees from where she stood; Patrat was too scared to move after Tai’s Leer! Her eyes widened in anticipation, wondering if there was anyway Patrat was going to snap out of it at the last second. Luckily for them, Patrat didn’t, and Tai landed another heavy strike against Cheren’s Pokémon. Patrat stumbled back from the attack, clearly becoming weary, though it still wasn’t at its breaking point. Tai returned to his position.

It appeared that Cheren was tired of waiting around. “Patrat, Bite!”

“Tai, dodge!”

Tai went to move out of Patrat’s way, but the feisty thing managed to chomp down on his leg. Tai let out a howl of pain, and Christie flinched. She knew that had to have hurt a lot worse than a regular attack thanks to Work Up. However, when Patrat pulled away, Tai was still standing. He hadn’t fainted! He was breathing heavily and a dark bite mark marred one of his legs, but he was still capable of fighting. Her eyes threatened to well with tears, but she blinked them away. Tai stepped back up to the plate with an unwavering gaze. He wasn’t ready to go down just yet. She was proud of him for sticking it out.

With a crack in her voice, she shouted, “Ember!”

A sly smirk stretched across Tai’s face, and his tail wagged gently. He stuck his head out whilst the flame on the tip of his tail grew. Before the words could even leave Cheren’s mouth, Tai was spewing fire directly into Patrat. The red and orange flames licked at its fur, fully engulfing its body much like its own Work Up had done, except this one _hurt_. Christie grinned from ear to ear as she watched Patrat go up in flames. There was no way he was getting out of that! Eventually, Tai’s sparks dwindled down, and Patrat was exposed to the normal air once again. It was completely charred, and its eyes were wide. Its face twitched and then it collapsed. Patrat had fainted!

“Tai, you’re awesome!” she cheered, and Tai smiled but he wobbled slightly; he didn’t have much left in him.

“To have chosen that move...I see! You’ll be a powerful opponent!” Cheren told her as he returned Patrat to its Pokéball. He grabbed the second one at his waist, then flung it towards the battlefield.

“Go, Lillipup!”

The puppy materialized out of its Pokéball with a bark. Cheren looked up at her. “Do you want to switch out your Pokémon?”

She furrowed her brows. Tai obviously didn’t have a lot of health left. It would be easy for Lillipup to knock him out even though they had trained against a Lillipup before. She could use one of her Potions, but she was hesitant to do so. She only had two, and while this certainly wouldn’t be a waste, she didn’t want to heal Tai up just for him to be back in the same position the next turn. There was no doubt in her mind that Lillipup also knew Work Up, and Cheren would try to pull the same scheme on her once more. A light bulb seemed to go off inside her head. Perhaps she could use Cheren’s predictability to her advantage…

“No, I’ll keep Tai out.”

“Charmander!” Tai yelled, confident in his own ability to withstand another attack.

“Tai, use Ember!”

Tai cracked his tail like a whip, and instantly, his flame grew. A growl rumbled in his chest.

“Lillipup, dodge it!”

She chuckled. “Tai, you know what to do!”

Tai nodded curtly before dashing towards Lillipup. His jaw hung open as he prepared to spit his fire. Lillipup lowered itself to the ground, preparing to pounce out of the way as soon as Tai began his attack. The Lillipup’s positioning reminded her of the Purrloin they had faced earlier.

“Char!” he shrieked, and his ember burst forth from his mouth.

As expected, Lillipup jumped out of the way of the flames, but Tai was much more experienced with his Ember now. He easily and effectively maneuvered the line of fire, so that it hit Lillipup anyways. Lillipup yelped as it was burned by Tai’s dozens of sparks. Purrloin may have been able to outsmart them, but they had learned from their mistakes. Tai could control his Ember like a master, and she was elated to see him improve upon his skills. The flames died down, leaving Lillipup scorched, but not down yet. It was wincing, and its balance was unsteady much like Tai’s; they were even.

Tai came back to her, and Cheren seemed to be sweating. “Lillipup, Work Up!”

Just as his Patrat had done, Lillipup summoned a boost to its attack stats with a suffocating aura. Lillipup glowed bright red, though this time, it wasn’t from the inferno encasing it. When the pressure of its power surged out towards them, they stood tall and proud; neither of them were intimidated by that anymore.

She was positive that Cheren was going to use Work Up again, so she was going to get one more use out of Tai before switching him out.

“Tai, Smokescreen!”

Tai took in a deep breath, his chest expanding. Then, he released it, expelling thick black smoke with it. Lillipup barked as it lost its vision, unable to see Tai through the smoke. Tai’s smoke was aimed directly at Lillipup, meaning only its vision was affected. The battlefield and Cheren were still visible, but a dirty cloud had settled on top of Lillipup. They almost had this…

“Lillipup, Work Up again!”

Smokescreen gave Cheren even more of a reason to use Work Up instead of a regular move. Lillipup’s accuracy was lowered, so even if he told it to attack, there was a high chance that it would miss. However, using Work Up allowed him to bide his time and attack with that one-hit K.O. like he had wanted from the start. Despite the dense smoke, Christie could see the shining red light through it as Lillipup raised its own stats. The wind it released was able to disperse the smoke for a moment, however, it quickly clung back onto Lillipup, casting it back into the darkness.

Christie pulled out Caterpie’s Pokéball. “Tai, switch out!”

He nodded and then retreated back behind Christie’s legs. She wanted to keep him out, so he could see them win their very first Gym badge.

“Go, Caterpie!” Its Pokéball skidded across the battlefield, popping open with a loud ding.

Caterpie materialized out of the blinding light with a tiny squeak, wiggling on the field. Cheren rose a brow. Caterpie bounced in place, excited to be having its first battle. He would make his Trainer proud!

“Lillipup, Work Up!”

The third and final one. Christie knew it was time to act. The next turn, albeit Tai’s Smokescreen, Cheren would attack, and if she wasn’t careful, Caterpie would suffer a one-hit K.O. She knew what she was doing though. She wasn’t going into this without a plan. She didn’t even bat an eyelash at Lillipup’s third Work Up, that palpable energy radiating off the dog Pokémon in waves. Caterpie didn’t seem to mind the energy burst either, happily dancing as his feet quietly pitter-pattered.

She remembered the Team Plasma grunt struggling on the ground like a mummy after Caterpie had taken care of him. “Caterpie, Stringshot!” She figured that would come in handy right about now.

“Pi pi!” Caterpie squealed before violently lurching forward. A thin spray of sticky silk spewed from his tiny mouth, enveloping Lillipup just like the grunt. Once again, she was amazed by how much silk Caterpie could produce especially so quickly. Around and around the silk went, practically lassoing Lillipup in place. Soon enough, it was completely covered and unable to fight back. Cheren could increase Lillipup’s stats all he wanted, but it wouldn’t do him any good if Lillipup couldn’t _actually_ attack.

Caterpie finally stopped spraying silk, his antenna rubbing together to create a happy vibration. Christie grinned from ear to ear.

Cheren looked panicked, obviously not expecting her to pull off something like this. He pulled at his tie. “Lillipup, Bite!”

Lillipup let out a muffled bark and the heap on the ground wiggled, but it was no use. Lillipup was immobilized!

“Now, Caterpie, Tackle attack!”

“Pi!”

Christie couldn’t help but giggle when Caterpie took off. He snaked his way over to Lillipup, bobbing his head the entire way. He looked like a toy train racing along the track. Though it was cute, his impact was crushing as he slammed himself into the cocooned Lillipup. All Lillipup could do was yelp and fidget harder.

“Again, Caterpie! Again, again, again!”

“Lillipup!”

Christie was pumping her fists in the air and bouncing on her heels as Caterpie delivered blow after blow to Lillipup. Tai was even cheering him on despite his injuries. Caterpie might not have been that strong, but he could do a lot of damage to a foe that couldn’t move. Cheren finally accepted his fate, no longer commanding Lillipup to do anything. Caterpie gave one last forceful Tackle, and it managed to break open Lillipup’s cocoon.

Lillipup fell out of the broken silk with a weak bark. It landed on the ground with its eyes closed, not moving. Lillipup had fainted!

“Oh my gosh, Caterpie! You did it!” Christie screamed and immediately ran towards her fuzzy friend.

However, Caterpie didn’t squeal out in excitement like he normally would. Instead, he blinked his big eyes at her and then looked up. Christie’s face scrunched as she skidded to a halt in front of him. Suddenly, Caterpie began to spew silk once more. She held her hand up to her mouth, and Tai scratched at the side of his head.

“What…?”

Caterpie was covering itself in its own silk. The soft string rained down on top of him like a fountain. It twinkled against his skin before gently wrapping around his small frame. She watched in awe as Caterpie bound itself into a cocoon. He began to glow a light green as his body morphed. Caterpie grew in size, though, he was still little enough for her to hold in her arms. He became crescent-shaped, and his big yellow eyes changed into much smaller and droopy ones.

“Metapod,” he buzzed.

Christie’s jaw dropped. Then, she hurriedly scrambled to cradle Metapod in her arms, hugging him tightly to her chest. “I can’t believe it! Our first Gym badge and our first evolution! Metapod, you did fantastic! I’m so proud of you!”

Christie continued to spout praises as happy tears trailed down her cheeks. She rocked Metapod back and forth in her arms, astounded by how well her team was doing already. Tai laughed and hopped around her in circles, celebrating Caterpie’s evolution too. Meanwhile, Cheren returned Lillipup to its Pokéball with a smile on his face. He turned towards Christie who was now sniffling and nuzzling Metapod to her cheek.

“That! That’s what a real Pokémon battle is like! I’m glad Caterpie was able to evolve because of that since it will make this battle that much more memorable.” He dug into his pocket as he stepped closer. He pulled his hand out and opened his fist to reveal to her a Basic badge. “I give you this in honor of the strength you and your Pokémon showed!”

More tears welled up in Christie’s eyes, but she shook her head to keep from making an absolute fool of herself. She took the badge from Cheren and admired it in her palm. It was purple and looked like the spine of a book. She sniffled and then shimmied Metapod in her arms. She dug around in her messenger bag in order to find her pink badge case. She popped it open and placed the Basic Badge in its designated spot. It sparkled in the sunlight, and she marveled at the fact that her badge case was no longer empty. She had proved herself as a capable Pokémon Trainer. Even though she still had quite a journey ahead of her, she could now show everyone that she was at least strong enough to conquer a Gym.

Cheren continued congratulating her as she put her badge case back into her bag. “That’s your first Gym badge, the Basic Badge! This is an important milestone! With this badge, you’ll have enough experience as a Trainer where stronger Pokémon will obey you. And I want you to take this!”

Cheren also handed her a disc. “TM83 can teach your Pokémon the move Work Up! When you use Work Up while battling, it raises the user’s Attack and Special Attack. By the way, TMs can be used as many times as you want!”

She nodded her head along to Cheren’s spiel despite the fact she already knew everything he was saying. She placed TM83 in the TMs & HMs case.

“In the Unova region, there are eight Pokémon Gyms and eight Gym Badges. If you’re a Trainer, you could collect all of them! That will make it easier to fill the pages of the Pokédex as well! Yes, two years ago, Pokédex in hand, I left on a journey with my friends.”

Christie smiled softly at him. Though she wasn’t supposed to know this already, she was well aware that Bianca and Cheren had been her rivals in Pokémon Black and White. She really did love that she got to meet up with the two of them again and see what became of them after the events of the previous game. She thanked Cheren for his time and she was about to leave, when he stopped her again. He handed over a _fat_ stack of bills, way more than those kids or even the groundskeeper had given her. She tried not to drool as she took the cash. She was grateful she hadn’t used a Potion after all because now she could spend more money on clothes instead!

* * *

“Ya little bitch!”

“Huh?”

Christie had just stepped out of the Trainer’s School after receiving the Basic Badge from Cheren. She had returned both Tai and Metapod to their Pokéballs since they both needed a rest. She was about to head back to the Pokémon Center when a loud voice had caught her attention. She turned to her left and gasped.

“It’s you!”

Standing a few feet away from her was the Team Plasma grunt from the ranch. He must have escaped from Caterpie’s silk before the owner and his wife could call Alder. He didn’t look worse for wear, but he was glaring down at her, and his fists were clenched at his sides. Obviously, he was _pissed_ , and he had a good reason to be.

He smirked and chuckled. “What? Ya didn’t think you’d be seeing me again, didja? I’m not gonna let some little girl get the best of me!”

Christie gulped. She could see the rage swirling in his eyes, and she knew she would have to do something. She couldn’t send out Tai because he was already one hit away from fainting. Metapod could tie the grunt up again, but he would more than likely escape faster this time around considering he had seen that trick before. She didn’t have a lot of time to think because he was pulling his arm back like he was about to punch her. She couldn’t let her Pokémon handle this for her! This was her fight and she would take this meathead down! She wasn’t a wrestling fan for nothing!

She let loose a loud holler as she charged at him, her fist wound back and ready to deliver a staggering strike. His eyes widened, and she believed that she had him right where she wanted him. She threw out her fist and it collided right into the grunt’s pectorals. She grinned triumphantly, sure she had won, but she blinked when the grunt didn’t even flinch. Then, a sharp pain radiated down her fingers and towards her wrist. She yelped in pain, removing her fist from his chest in order to cup her wrist to herself.

“Ouch, ouch, _ouch_!”

Oh, that’s right. She wasn’t nearly as strong or bulky as before.

 _Fuck_.

The grunt smirked.

“Put me down, asshole!” she shrieked as the grunt lifted her up over his shoulder. She pounded away at his back as hard as she could, but it was obvious that she wasn’t hurting him.

He laughed creepily and then patted her ass. A light pink blush spread across her cheeks. “Nah, I don’t think I’m gonna do that. I’m gonna make your little ass pay for humiliating me. I’ll _liberate_ those pesky Pokémon from ya and then why don’t the two of us have a little fun before I leave, huh? Let’s see if I can split ya apart with my big _fat_ -”

Abruptly, there was a loud cracking sound that made her flinch. It was sharp and sounded like something had been broken. Had he accidentally stepped on something? She felt little soft specks land onto her back. A few chunks of whatever it was fell on the ground before them. They looked like clay pieces. The grunt had stopped talking, and his grip on her became loose. After a split second, she felt the looming giant begin to topple over. She went to scream, but luckily, she felt strong hands on her hips. She was pulled against a firm chest, her feet finally back on the ground. She let out a sigh of relief.

The grunt fell to the ground, knocked out. The sound she had heard was a plant pot being broken over his head. There was dirt and ceramic littering the street. The poor plant lay wilted off to the side; at least it had been dead already.

“Dirty bastard!” her savior quipped, and she turned around in their hold to properly thank them.

Although, her eyes sparkled when she saw who it was. “Hugh? What are you doing here?”

Hugh grumbled a bit more as he gazed down at the passed out Team Plasma member. He shook it off and sighed. “I stuck around to see if you would get the Basic Badge. I’m glad I did. Damn bastard was saying such lewd things to you...I was so angry that I just grabbed the nearest thing and swung it at him.”

Christie felt her stomach flutter. She giggled and nuzzled closer to Hugh’s chest. “Well, thank you for saving me.” She leaned up on her tiptoes in order to place a light kiss to his cheek. “My hero~,” she whispered as she pulled away.

She swore she had never seen Hugh so red. She couldn’t help but laugh loudly as she wiggled her way out of his hold. “I sure did get the Basic Badge, but that’s not what I’m most excited about!” She flashed the large stack of bills Cheren had given her. “Look at all this! Do you know how many outfits I can buy with this kind of money?”

Hugh stared at her blankly.

“After we go shopping, we _have_ to head to the next gym. A girl can live in style with this kind of cash!”

_“We?”_

She placed the hand holding the bills on her hip and looked at Hugh from over her shoulder. “Duh, as my savior, you’re obligated to come help me pick out what best matches my eyes.” She was only _half_ joking.

Hugh rolled his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am seriously loving the development of this story, and I'm super excited to see where it goes! I hope you all enjoy it just as much. Please leave me a comment down below about what you're excited for for the next installment or anything that really struck your fancy this time around! Of course, constructive criticism is always appreciated as well :) 
> 
> To the anonymous commissioner, THANK YOU!!
> 
> To everyone else, thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, thank you to the anonymous commissioner for allowing me to bring their idea to life! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as they did! 
> 
> Look out for the next chapter soon! Again, I can't say exactly when it will be out, but there will definitely be more! Christie's journey is only just beginning! 
> 
> Of course, if you'd like to see something similar to this work or if you'd like to see me write another Pokemon fic sooner, remember to check out my Tumblr or email me at superimageryyy@gmail.com!
> 
> My writing requests are still open on Tumblr! I will write 1,000 words and under for a request! If you'd like something longer, please check out the rules on my Tumblr!
> 
> My Tumblr is yaoiobsessedwrites. It is labeled as an 18+ blog simply because I do reblog NSFW posts, so if you have trouble finding it on mobile that's why. Feel free to message me on my Tumblr! I'm always willing to talk to people about pretty much anything. You can also send me prompts or ask questions! I promise I'm not scary!
> 
> My writing Tumblr is supahimagery. Feel free to message me here as well! Shoot me an ask if you have any writing questions or simply want some advice! I'm always more than willing to help. It's why I created this blog! It's not just for FanFiction either! Feel free to ask me questions pertaining to essay writing, editing, and/or about original works!
> 
> If I do not respond to your message on my writing account, please send me a message on my main account! I will be able to see the notification right away!
> 
> I do have a FanFiction account as well. It's under the same penname. Some of the fics on there are pretty old though, so here's your warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
